


May There Be Victors

by MissArtemis



Series: Glory to the Children [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bottom Armitage Hux, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, First Order Politics (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Protective Kylo Ren, Sexual Content, That's Not How The Force Works, The First Order Wins (Star Wars), Top Kylo Ren, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 86,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissArtemis/pseuds/MissArtemis
Summary: As the First Order continues to conquer the galaxy, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and Grand Marshal Armitage Hux have found themselves to be a powerful duo that is feared by most. As they attempt to balance parenting their children, Ares and Galatea, with their conquest, they find it is not only the Resistance who wishes to slow their rise to power.Kylo Ren also wishes to cement his devotion to Hux but in a galaxy divided, it's difficult to find victory in a perfected way without destroying something, or someone, else.[PART 2 to the GLORY TO THE CHILDREN Kylux series]
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Series: Glory to the Children [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393825
Comments: 125
Kudos: 222





	1. A New Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Part 2 to the GLORY TO THE CHILDREN SERIES! This is a continuation of "Children of War" taking place 2 years after the events of that fanfiction and of THE LAST JEDI. This story is not compliant with the events of The Rise of Skywalker, but it will have some ideas inspired from the movie. 
> 
> Thank you for reading part 1 if you did! If you forget what happened in Children of War, there is a recap in the endnotes. I hope everyone is doing well!
> 
> Leave a comment and a kudos! They inspire me. 
> 
> CW: sexual content

_The frequency was weak but if someone had access to it, onboard their shuttles, or on their speeders, they could find it. A voice came through, somewhat unclear but distinctly male._

_“If you’re out there, the Resistance is still here for you. Do not despair, even in the darkest times. Look to the light, and we’ll be there,” the voice said, hoping to reach someone. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Do not let your oppressors win. The Resistance needs you. Leia, she needs you.”_

_“May the Force be with you,” another voice said._

_And just like that, the frequency was gone. The speakers didn’t know if anyone heard them, but it was worth a try. There were trillions in the galaxy, one being was bound to listen._

_There was still hope, even if day by day, the ‘New Order’ was growing stronger._

///

The _Vanguard_ was a fearsome ship. From the outside, it looked impenetrable. It would float through the galaxy, sometimes passing planets but never getting too close. It was merely a reminder of the First Order’s power and how it could come at any time. 

The First Order, though still having its original name, had new initiative developing. The “New Order” they called it. The initial plan was to call their new empire The New Order to signify a new beginning, the First Order was still the name of their navy. 

The inside of the _Vanguard_ was just as sturdy. It was filled with the best officers and stormtroopers and even housed the Knights of Ren when they bothered to show up on it. 

But the _Vanguard_ had a soft side to it as well and currently, it was staring Captain Dopheld Mitaka in the face. 

This softness had been carefully protected by the rigid and strong walls around it. To find these soft spots, one would have to know to look for them. 

A pair of little pale hands were lining up small star destroyer ship toys along the side of his console. As the hands placed another tiny ship on his workspace, Mitaka would hear a little voice say the number of ships he was placing down. Currently, they were at four. 

The child’s head popped up from the side of the console. The boy had strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. 

“Do you like them?” The child asked. Mitaka nodded and gave him a forced, friendly smile. The kid didn’t notice the man was uncomfortable. 

“Yes. Did your father give them to you?” Mitaka looked back to his work. The kid shrugged his shoulders, but Mitaka knew the toys were from the boy’s parents. He wanted Mitaka to keep acknowledging him but Mitaka refused to stare at him. 

“Ares! Don’t bother the Captain, come here,” a strong voice called. Ares gathered up his toys and ran over to his father. He jumped up a step onto the elevated platform that overlooked the bridge crew and sat on the floor, going back to his war game.

Onboard the _Vanguard_ , Grand Marshal Armitage Hux watched over his bridge with a fierce gaze. He analyzed every little movement of his crew, making sure they weren’t doing what they were always doing when Hux had to bring the children on the bridge: gawk and awe and stare. 

It had been a slow process introducing his children to the galaxy. Well, technically his children still weren’t well-known. Even amongst the First Order, some people thought that the Hux and Ren’s lab-produced children were just a rumor. There was no formal announcement, they just appeared when Hux wanted them too, though he tried to limit these interactions. 

Grand Marshal Hux was wearing a sleek black uniform with golden rings on the wrist instead of the General’s white ones. He also had a cape on, the outside of it black and the inside red (Hux didn’t care too much for looks, but it did make him feel powerful). 

Strapped to his chest was his daughter, Galatea. For a two-year-old, she was quite relaxed and not worried about new things. She didn’t particularly care for being on the bridge, attached to Hux’s chest like a sling bag. She much rather be exploring as her brother got to but she didn’t fuss.

Though the Hux-Ren children were particularly adorable, the crew tended to stare at Galatea for a special reason: her white hair. 

Her curls were large and healthy but the hair on her head was white like the snow of Hoth. Her eyebrows weren’t, strangely, and Hux had gone to their pediatrician as soon as he noticed the odd color not vanishing. He half thought to dye her hair but concluded that it was an irrational idea and she was fine as she was. 

Kylo Ren thought her white hair was a weird Force blessing of some sort but the doctors confirmed it was most likely an error or anomaly caused by the nature of how she was made in a lab. It was either an accident or a genetic mutation and nobody knew what it was exactly, but it didn’t matter in the end. 

Another trait of Galatea’s hair was that it grew quite rapidly. She needed frequent haircuts. Her brother had his father’s wild hair too but, like his sister and Ren, Ares hated haircuts more than anything in the galaxy. Leave it to his children and his partner to be the only ones allowed to break Hux’s strict haircut regulation.

There had been a previous issue of a few of the female officers cooing too much over the kids when Hux wasn’t looking. At first, he was proud that his officers admired his children but in current times they were becoming quite annoying. More than once an older officer would pinch Ares’ cheeks without thinking, earning the scariest stare from Ren that would've killed them on the spot. Some also had begun to ‘baby talk’ when Galatea was around. Hux was patient about it, but it was still odd. 

“Down?” Galatea asked her papa. Hux sighed. 

“No, Sweet Tea. I’m working you have to stay with me,”

Hux said to her in a quiet tone. He didn’t like it when his officers caught him talking to his children; he knew they were all waiting for him to coo over them and break his hard outer shell. 

There were officers, mostly older males, who were more obvious in their dislike for Ares and Galatea being about. Sometimes they’d sneer or they’d shake their heads; it was all subtle things, and sometimes a dutiful officer would report the horrid things these men would say about Hux and the children. They were disciplined, obviously, but he knew he couldn’t get rid of someone’s distaste for children or their displeasure towards Hux’s choices. 

Nobody openly opposed their Grand Marshal though. Who would be defiant towards a man who was the partner of their fearless Supreme Leader? They knew Hux was more forgiving about everyone’s offhand comments, but there were several times that Kylo Ren had maimed people for saying the slightest things against his children or Hux. 

Also, wherever the children were there was bound to be a Knight of Ren close by. The Knights still unnerved the Order’s crew. Today, Ren’s sniper, Vision Ren, was stationed on the bridge with Hux. They didn’t speak to one another; Hux didn’t even think a Knight’s presence was needed. The Knights only spoke to Hux if nobody but Ren was around and even then, only two of the Knights of Ren opened their mouths to say something to the Grand Marshal. 

“I want to color,” Ares said, looking up to his papa. 

“I don’t have your stuff. Play with your ships,” Hux told him, hoping Ares wouldn’t throw a tantrum. He didn’t, but the young boy pouted. 

Ares held up one of his plasteel ships to show it to Hux. He made little ‘flying’ noises as he did so. Ares glanced between his toy ship and his father, unsure how to get his attention. 

“Which one is this, papa?” Ares questioned.

“It’s a model of the _Finalizer_. I was the General on that ship. Do you remember it?” Hux asked. Ares shook his head, his curly locks bouncing as he did. 

“Nuh-uh,” Ares said, observing all the details of the toy. 

“You grew up there when you were a baby,” Hux tried to tell him but Ares didn’t seem interested anymore. Galatea was though. She leaned down and made grabby motions with her hand. She couldn’t go anywhere since she was strapped to Hux. She was beginning to dislike the carrier.

“I want, I want,” Galatea chanted. Ares puffed out his cheeks and turned away from his baby sister, ignoring her request. Galatea looked sharply at Hux, whining “Pa!” 

Hux groaned and carefully leaned down to pick up a toy ship for Galatea. He gave her a TIE fighter one. She didn’t do much with it other than stare and feel its fine ridges. He could feel officers try to sneak glances at him.

As Hux tried to keep his children calm, an officer strode up to him, a datapad in her hands. 

“Grand Marshal, Sir!” She saluted. Hux could tell she was purposefully not making eye contact with him, afraid she’d glance at his children. “Supreme Leader Kylo Ren has returned and is requesting a meeting with the higher-ups. He wants your presence in an approximate hour.”

Hux shifted his jaw. He wasn’t expecting Ren to come back so suddenly, not that he minded. He just had planned to have the children on the bridge all day, given that he couldn’t keep them in the room. 

Their NAN-E droid was broken (by Ren’s wrathful hand, he assumed) and he didn’t want to find an alternative (he didn’t want to hear Ren’s suggestion of the Knights of Ren to watch other them). 

“Very well. Colonel, make sure a cleaning droid follows after Ren when he boards. I suspect him and the Knights of Ren will be staining my floors,” Hux said. The woman glanced at the Knight of Ren standing behind Hux. She couldn’t tell if he was staring at her or not but she nodded and promptly headed off. 

“Daddy is back?” Ares asked happily. 

“Yes, clean up your toys,” Hux told him calmly. Ares quickly tried to gather up his things. 

Vision Ren offered him a little black bag to put his ships in and the child took it gleefully. Hux still found it utterly peculiar and unnerving to see the black-clad Knights of Ren do anything to help out with his children. They were supposed to be gruesome images of death and mystery. Watching Vision Ren offer a bag to a little boy to help him seemed unfitting, but Vision was doing what was told of him: watching over the Children of Ren. 

Vision followed Hux out the door, Ares walking in between them. They headed to the family’s chambers to drop off the toys. 

On a usual day, Ares and Galatea would be preoccupied with the NAN-E droid or their tutor but, alas, it was the tutor’s time for shore leave and the new droid was still being ordered. 

As they walked the halls, accompanied by the guard, they passed the white and red stormtroopers.

Sith troopers were a creation of Ren’s. They were his special little unit, only found on the _Vanguard_ and occasionally occupying planets where Ren suspected the dark side of the Force was present. While regular stormtroopers were for war and guard, his ‘Sith’ troopers were made to deal with force sensitives or capture artifacts that Ren found valuable that he didn’t trust regular troopers to get. 

Hux was half-glad that Ren had his personal legion of troopers; it would stop him from killing the ones in Hux’s stormtrooper program. The only other legion of stormtroopers Ren concerned himself with was the Red Fury, the 709th legion that was currently on Batuu (chosen by Ren himself, of course). It was nice seeing how involved Ren had become. 

The Knights of Ren were not deterred by Ren’s special forces. They didn’t compare to the Knights; they were still Ren’s group. Hux still didn’t think he was used to them. Ares and Galatea didn’t fear them though, in fact, they seemed to think of them of servants. Ares would ask the Knights for little things: a toy, a snack, a question, and they’d respond as necessary, though they avoided talking to their Young Master. 

Galatea had a crying fit before they left for the meeting. She usually wasn’t a loud child, unlike her brother, but she seemed to have an ego. She wanted to see Kylo desperately but, unknown to her, she couldn’t see him if she was throwing a fit. Hux gave her her sippy cup and tried to tie back her hair before putting her back into her carrier. 

Ares carried his coloring book and markers (a gift Ren fit for him. Hux thought it was a ridiculous gift because he was too attached to his datapad and didn’t appreciate things that were on paper) as they went. 

Something tickled Ares’ ear. He turned around, stopping in place, but nothing was there. He thought he heard a voice. He whined seeing nobody was there, a lonesome feeling creeping into his chest.

“Come along, Ares. Your father is waiting. Behave or you can’t watch a holo tonight,” Hux told him. Ares slowly turned back around and followed after his papa.

///

Kylo Ren disliked the cleaning droid that was following after him. He wanted to throw it against a wall and listen to it smash into pieces but he couldn’t be bothered to go through on the idea. Hux would complain if stains were left behind. 

Ren strode to the meeting room, his Knights of Ren in tow. They had returned from a continuation of the Order’s overtaking of Coruscant. It was a tumultuous time for them all; Coruscant was a part of the Core Worlds and was heavily protected, though by whom was disputed. Without the New Republic to control Coruscant, it was left to its on-planet government systems (wrecked by corruption, no doubt) but was still a hub of life. 

Hux had expressed that Coruscant was the perfect stronghold for his New Order. Ren agreed but didn’t disclose how he didn’t want the children on that dirty planet. 

It was also a curious time, being on Coruscant. Old buildings of the Jedi and Sith remnants remained, but the everyday person thought nothing of it. These buildings fascinated the Knights of Ren, though. It was their version of a history museum. 

Kylo Ren was still very much soot-covered and bloodied when he entered the meeting room. His Generals and officers were already seated and patiently waiting. Some of them swallowed hard when they saw Ren enter the room looking ragged. Only two Knights of Ren, Gyro and Nykita, entered the room with their master. Vio Ren stayed outside the door. 

Arla Ren had gone off on her mission like the dutiful rogue she was. She had recently visited Naboo, according to her communications with Ren. 

Ren took his seat at the front, his knights standing behind him from a distance with their weapons in their hands. Ren looked to his left to see an empty seat. The seat had a red cushion on it. Before Ren could comment on it, Grand Marshal Hux came through the door, Galatea in his arms and Ares at his side. 

“Welcome back, Supreme Leader,” Hux said casually. He didn’t want to be late but he most certainly didn’t want to be last. It was always awkward when he had to bring the children about.

Hux would’ve been on time if Galatea hadn’t thrown her fit and Ares didn’t demand his coloring materials to be found. Hux almost yelled at his son to behave but restrained himself. 

“Grand Marshal,” Ren replied in acknowledgment. 

Hux sat in the seat next to Ren. Galatea made whining noises, reaching for Ren. Hux handed her off to him. 

Hux pulled Ares into his lap and Ares slapped his drawing pad on the table and began to color with extreme focus. 

The officers acted normally but Ren could sense some of them were still uncomfortable with the children around. It wasn’t that they didn’t _like_ children or were particularly bothered by Ares and Galatea, it was merely the fact they were somehow related to Kylo Ren and Hux (the details were still fuzzy to some of them. They didn’t know if the kids were both related to the two men or if they had one kid each and shared the responsibilities. They relied on rumors). 

It should’ve been cute that Kylo Ren had a little toddler cuddling against his chest in her little black First Order dress and stockings but the fact she was attached to Kylo just made her scary. 

Ren didn’t like it when the children were shown. He could sense everyone’s curiosity along with their discomfort. Galatea laid against Ren’s chest, sucking on her sippy cup.

“Coruscant will soon be in our hands. The Core Worlds will realize the might of the First Order and become a part of our united empire,” Ren announced. Hux wrinkled his nose; he disliked the word ‘empire.’ “We will continue our assault of various planets to cement trading ports and political influence.” 

Hux stared between Ren and his datapad, looking at his notes. 

Ren continued, “I have considered also adding Naboo to our list of colonies. Naboo is a rich planet with a deep history that will enhance the Order’s power and influence.”

Ren left out the part where he had a relation to the late Queen Padme, though this information didn’t seem essential anyhow. He didn’t think he’d be wearing their traditional clothes or makeup if he decided to overtake the planet. Being the Supreme Leader in his black cape was enough. 

“The current Queen of Naboo has offered negotiations, rather than fighting. Though I suspect she won’t give up her rule so easily,” Hux said offhandedly, looking through a comprehensive description of Naboo. Ren had disclosed to Hux that he was a rightful heir and Hux laughed at first. He knew that technically none of Ren’s blood relations mattered given the nature of the planets those relations were tied to (a blown up Alderaan, an elected Queen of Naboo—). 

“I’m sure we will take it swiftly. You can begin delegations though. I rather not ruin anything on that planet,” Ren said. Hux wanted to comment that that was the first time Ren admitted he didn’t have to destroy everything he touched but chose to keep it to himself. “Now, for the reports.” 

“Sir,” General Engell said from her seat, confident. She was one of the generals Ren trusted not to work against him in any way. She had done a fine job at replacing Captain Phasma, though she didn’t have Phasma’s physical strength. “Your 709th legion on Batuu has reported more activity in the Resistance. The locals say they know nothing but the Black Spire outpost’s cameras say otherwise.” 

“Show the holo,” Ren allowed, waving his hand. Galatea hiccuped in Ren’s lap. 

General Engell connected her datapad to the projector in the middle of the table and showed the image she required from Batuu. The image was of the Millennium Falcon parked in the outpost amongst the busy crowds. Aliens seemed to be loading the ship with boxes. 

Nothing seemed out of place rather than the Falcon; they couldn’t see any obvious members of the Resistance like Chewbacca. But where there was the Falcon, there was its rebellious crew. 

“Mighty obvious of them,” Captain Mitaka said. He got to sit closest to Hux, given that he had earned the couple’s trust. 

“They aren’t trying to be sneaky. They are loading and leaving, but the nature of their purchase is still unknown. That is if it was a purchase at all,” General Engell explained. She zoomed in on various parts of the image.

There was no indication of what was inside the boxes. All they knew was that the Falcon was, or had been, in the Black Spire Trading Post. They figured they had been long gone by now. 

“Did the troopers interrogate those loaders?” Hux asked. Ares stared at the image for a moment and went back to coloring when Hux adjusted the boy in his lap. Hux was beginning to feel the weight of Ares and was growing uncomfortable. He missed when Ares was very little and could be held for hours without much of a struggle from Hux’s thin arms.

“They tried, sir. They said they were just paid to move the boxes though we are still tracing what even the purchase was from,” General Engell told him, not noticing how she made her voice the slightest bit more delicate. 

“I’ll go myself. If the scavenger girl was there, then the Resistance must be planning to do something detrimental to slow our progress,” Ren said. Hux looked sharply at Ren, lowering his brows. 

“The troopers there, that you picked, may I add, are fully capable of solving this debacle. The Resistance numbers are still low and I doubt they will make a huge stand against us given their poor circumstance,” Hux explained. Ren narrowed his eyes at his partner. “They have bothered us very little these last two standard years. Not to say they are still a threat; as long as General Organa lives, so does her Rebellion, but we must put our energy and focus into other things.”

“I think you fail to see the importance of this outpost, Grand Marshal,” Ren said in a low voice. Everyone began to become antsy. Usually, when anyone defied Ren they were quickly silenced, but Hux was now one of the few people who could get away with it. 

They still remember how violent he was towards Hux.

Ares looked up at Hux and tugged on his shirt, but Hux ignored him.

“I haven’t failed to see anything, we choose Batuu and I’m determined to keep it out of the hands of Resistance sympathizers, the Order—”

“Papa,” Ares said as quietly as he could, though people still heard him. Ares pointed at his drawing. Hux looked down.

His cheeks began to turn warm. Ares had drawn what appeared to be his interpretation of his family. He drew himself yellow hair and big blue eyes and a First Order cap. Next to him, he had drawn Ren to look gigantic amongst the other people with a black-clothed body and crazy black squiggles for his hair and a red line through his right eye to imitate his father’s scar. In Ren’s hand, which he drew as ovals with lines coming out of them, he had drawn Ren’s red saber. Next to Ren was Hux with his orange hair and stern look. Lastly, Ares had drawn Galatea as a fat little lump on the ground in a red dress. For some reason, he drew her with an angry face. 

Well, the entire drawing was a series of crude shapes that hardly resembled people but Hux understood what he was trying to do with his little hands. In poor handwriting, it seemed Ares had tried to spell “family."

“—the O-Order,” Hux said, his voice trembling. He cleared his throat. He thought he was shaking, embarrassed by how much he loved his son’s drawing (and how much he cherished his son). Some of the officers looked at each other quizzically, not understanding why their Grand Marshal was suddenly flustered. 

“The New Order’s success relies on the Resistance staying out of its way, no matter the effort,” Ren asserted, continuing Hux’s sentence since he seemed incapacitated. 

“I agree,” some bootlicking officer said. 

The conversation continued, discussing the schematics of their takeover, their needs, the payment, the undeniable headache that came from figuring the conversion rate on planets that didn’t use the usual credits… 

Ren snuck at a glance at the drawing that made Hux blush like a maiden. He smiled when he looked at it. If anyone caught Ren’s smile, they didn’t say anything about it. If they saw it in the first place, they were probably terrified. 

It was agreed that Ren would travel to the Black Spire Outpost with a limited number of stormtroopers just to check up on their territory and see what clues the Rebels were leaving behind. As the meeting concluded, he could tell that Hux was upset about something.

Once everyone left, Ares pushed himself off of Hux’s lap. Hux stood up and brushed off his pants, trying to remove the crinkles. Galatea had fallen asleep against Ren’s chest, the nose of her sippy cup still half in her mouth. 

“What’s wrong?” Ren asked. Hux seemed offended by the question.

“Off you go again,” Hux began, “to leave me behind with the children.”

“It’s not personal, Hux. I rather just these things get done by my hand. I won’t be long on Batuu, then I’ll come right back to you.”

“I’m going then,” Hux said firmly, his nose pointed in the air. 

“Absolutely not. Who will watch the children?” Ren said sternly. He got up from his chair, Galatea safely resting against his broad chest. Ren’s chest was her wall and comfort; she knew she was safe when she was against it. His heartbeat, like a beat of a drum, told her that someone was protectively watching over her. 

“We could bring them,” Hux suggested. Ren’s eyes widened.

“And _you’re_ supposed to be the rational one,” Ren criticized. Hux groaned, picking up all of Ares’ markers and his drawing and handing them to the child. “They are safer on the ship.”

“Maybe, but they also need more stimulation. If Batuu is too dangerous for them to walk around in, we can take a day trip to another planet afterward. My children need at least a day off-ship,” Hux insisted. “I’m also getting tired of bringing them on the bridge since _somebody_ broke the droid while their tutor is gone.” 

Ares waddled to Ren and pulled on his cape, stopping his father from replying to Hux. Ren looked down at him, seeing that Ares was trying to show off his drawing. 

“You like it?” Ares asked him. 

Ren repressed a smile. “Yes.” Ren didn’t ask why he was so rectangular in Ares’ mind. 

Looking at his son, then back to his sleeping daughter, he realized how much he loved his children being in his proximity. If Hux couldn’t convince him of anything, the doleful eyes of his son and the red cheeks of his daughter could. Ren ground his teeth together.

Hux could tell Ren couldn’t resist agreeing. Hux fluttered his eyelashes the way Ren couldn’t resist. “Please, Supreme Leader? Our dear children wish to see the galaxy their father has worked so diligently on capturing.”

Ren knew Hux was trying to appeal to him so he could get what he wanted. Unfortunately, Ren had grown weak to Hux’s charms over the years and restrained himself less. 

Galatea woke up for a moment, mumbled something nonsensical, then fell right back asleep. Somehow, it filled Ren with pride.

“Fine!” Ren said stubbornly. Hux’s lips smirked for a moment but he quickly made himself appear passive. “You may come, but if I determine the area is too dangerous we will go somewhere else afterward and you will stay _on the ship_. Understand?”

Hux liked to give Ren the illusion that he had control over everything. Hux nodded his head politely; it was almost his form of a curtsy. 

“Yes, darling,” Hux said. Ren liked how he said darling, though it somehow made Hux seem more mature. 

“Can I have my saber?” Ares asked, pulling on Ren’s cape again. 

Ares’ lightsaber wasn’t a real one; it was more of a plasteel stick that was painted to look like one that turned on. Ares decided he wanted a red one like his daddy. He had an awful habit of smacking the NAN-E droid with it, though it was more irritable than destructive. 

“Ares, use your manners,” Hux tried to correct but Ren already answered him with a flat “sure” that made Hux frown. He wasn’t going to let Ares become an entitled brute like his father. And Ren said Ares wasn’t going to be a stuck-up, misanthrope. 

The family returned to their quarters. The last two years provided them ample time to decorate and make it homier, though the two men did their best to try to be minimalistic (but it was near impossible to be a minimalist with two children). 

Ares had his room and Galatea still lived in the nursery where Ren first saw her face. Ren entered Galatea’s room to put her in her little bed. Somehow, Galatea’s room was neater than her older brother’s, though in due time that would change. Ren could already tell she would be a rather material girl given by how much she asked Ares to share his toys (not that he would and she would cry and whine about it until one of their parents lost it).

Backing in the living area, Ares had already picked up his toy saber and was swinging it around making zooming noises. Ares’ toy saber was short to fit his little hands and keep him from destroying the room.

“Careful,” Hux told him without looking up. Hux was on his datapad, profusely answering messages. Ares puffed his cheeks out and looked to Ren, catching his mysterious father staring at him.

“I want a real one,” Ares said in his little squeaky voice.

“When you’re older,” Ren replied, disinterested in having this conversation. Ares had been fussing about lightsabers and ships and blasters these days, seemingly wanting to become a real soldier or fighter like his fathers. Hux and Ren didn’t know if they were proud or concerned. 

///

At night, after the children ate and went to sleep, Ren took a shower as Hux continued to work. The only difference in Hux working seemed to be that he was in his sleepwear. He wore a black silk set of pajamas which Ren quite liked; it made Hux’s ass look nice and had a slight v-cut so Ren could see some of Hux’s collar bone. 

Ren liked that they had actual hot, running water. It was part of the privilege of being the Supreme Leader and Grand Marshal (with two kids, of course). Ren exited the refresher with a towel wrapped around his head and waist. 

His body glimmered with moisture and Hux felt his eyes linger on Ren’s skin for longer than he wanted. He would’ve been embarrassed to be caught staring, but nowadays he had grown used to Ren’s presence which made everything feel more natural. Still, Ren was smug any time he caught Hux sizing him up. 

“What are you doing, Grand Marshal?” Ren asked. He only really called Hux by his title to tease or patronize him or to remind Hux who gave him that title. 

“Checking up on our delegates, seeing if they are having any problems on these loathsome planets who think they are somehow superior to joining our New Order,” Hux said with a slight sneer in his lip. 

Ren plopped down next to Hux on the couch, shaking it. Hux glanced at Ren’s glistening pecs again before going back to his datapad. He didn’t know how such a small towel could hide Ren’s obscenely huge cock. Ren put an arm around the back of the seat. 

“I thought I told you not to work at night. The only work you should be doing is raising the kids with me and entertaining your Supreme Leader,” Ren said, leaning close to Hux, putting his chin near Hux’s face. Hux put his fingers underneath Ren’s chin and scratched him lightly as if he were a needy cat. Ren purred. 

“Unfortunately, if you want your rule to stretch far and into the Core Worlds, I cannot rest. You may think war is the only way to get your worlds, but there are still other factors that need to be worked on.” 

“Mmh, my poor Grand Marshal,” Ren teased. “Now I’m ordering you to put down that datapad and go to bed with me.” 

Hux stared at Ren for a moment then caved in. Despite it all, Hux would still listen to orders (though he knew Ren wouldn’t really punish him anymore for not listening over petty things). He turned off his datapad and got up. 

Ren led Hux into the bedroom, a hand on his lower back to encourage him to keep moving forward. As they entered their shared bedroom, Ren squeezed Hux on the ass. 

“Karking pervert,” Hux said without much venom, slapping the datapad in Ren’s direction to get him to stop. Ren chuckled and went to find his sleep pants. 

Obediently, Hux put his datapad on the bedside table and crawled on the black sheets of their bed. 

Ren only ever slept in sweatpants. Well, truthfully, he mostly did it because he slept in the same bed as Hux. He would’ve put on a shirt but he knew Hux rather liked his chest and not wearing underwear always proved helpful when Hux suddenly was in the mood to suck his cock. 

Ren jumped into the bed and moved close to Hux to spoon him as if he had the right. Hux didn’t say anything; his eyes were already shut. Ren knew he wasn’t asleep. 

Ren kissed Hux on the back of his neck, trying to entice his Grand Marshal. Hux sighed through his nostrils. Ren stared at Hux’s bright hair.

“I think I see grey hair,” Ren said jokingly. 

“I’m going to smother you in your sleep you stupid bastard shut up,” Hux snapped, looking over his shoulder at Ren. Ren propped himself up. “Some of us can’t be in our early thirties anymore.” 

“You’re still young, Armitage,” Ren said, kissing Hux on the cheek. Hux laid back down, his rising fury gone. Ren kissed at the back of his neck again, putting an arm around Hux. 

“What is with you? You have emotional issues,” Hux remarked, crossing his arms. Ren didn’t take it to heart knowing Hux was being stubborn. 

“Hm? Nothing is with me, I just have the most beautiful consort,” Ren flirted, his hand traveling down the slopes of Hux’s body. 

“I told you, I’m not a consort.” 

“No? I know you wouldn’t let me say boyfriend or lover, but I have to have a word.” Ren didn’t mind everyone saying they were partners but he rather say something with more flair to it, mainly because it flustered Hux to hear it. Ren stopped for a second, his hand resting on Hux’s hip. “Are you sure you want to go to Batuu?” 

“Yes,” Hux said firmly. “I think… it would be nice to be able to walk on another planet with the children. Again, if it doesn’t work out we can stop somewhere else I hope. If it pleases the Supreme Leader, of course.” 

Ren smirked against Hux’s skin. He began to feel his cock swell in his pants. He shifted behind Hux and let his hands travel in between Hux’s legs. The Grand Marshal flinched as Kylo began to rub his crotch through his silky trousers. 

The silk felt sweet against his rough fingers, and it was an even sweeter feeling to notice how Hux’s cock twitched in curiosity and agreement. 

As it turned out, they were rather insatiable when it came to one another. There was nothing to stop the tides of their lust for one another, even when Hux downplayed his feelings or Ren insisted he was too strong to be consistently tempted by Hux. 

“Always willing to please,” Ren said in a low voice. Hux let out a lust-filled sigh. “You know, I hear there are vendors at the Black Spire that sell aphrodisiacs like no other. They come from all over the galaxy and can make even the largest beast kneel over his pleasure. I wonder what they’d do to my dear Grand Marshal.”

“Is that so?” Hux said softly, slowly reaching behind Ren and feeling his abs. Hux methodically let his fingers trace downwards past Ren’s waistband to find the base of Ren’s hardening dick. 

“Yes. I bet we could find some interesting stores too of all sorts of fun devices. Maybe we ought to tell Mitaka to babysit for a day while we try lots of new equipment. Call it a vacation day. Just you, me, and the bed,” Ren beguiled, feeling a twitch go through his body as Hux began to pump his cock within the confines of his pants. Ren moaned in Hux’s ear, making the man shiver. 

“Ah, Ren...” Hux let out as Ren hardened his press on Hux’s crotch. The Grand Marshal began to buck into Ren’s hand, squirming helplessly. He quicked how he toyed with Ren’s dick, his body warming. Hux’s hand felt hot around him. “What… What do you think you’ll do then?”

Ren grinned and nipped at the back of Hux’s neck. He’d let the Grand Marshal's mind wander for a bit. 

They were becoming the most powerful men in the galaxy which gave them more time to get whatever they desired. He liked to imagine that when Hux was alone, without his Knight of Ren, he was shoving dildos into himself trying to replicate the feeling Ren gave to him. None would suffice, naturally. Ren knew he was the only one who could please Hux. 

Hux usually wouldn’t let him kiss him so high up where any marks could be visibly seen but he wasn’t complaining so Ren took the opportunity. 

Ren snaked his free hand under Hux and pressed two fingers to Hux’s lips. Hux opened his mouth slightly, letting his tongue peek out so Ren could slide his fingers into the man’s mouth and let him sinfully suck on them. For a strict man, Hux was utterly depraved and helpless under Ren’s touch. 

“You’re always so pleased to have something in your mouth,” Ren teased, testing how far back he could slide his fingers and he put his hand down Hux’s pants. Hux moaned around his fingers. “Everyone thinks you're so stuck up and prudish. Little do they know how easy you give in to getting my cock or fingers inside you. Maybe we should demonstrate in front of the crew how committed you are to me.” 

Hux whined, somewhat out of fear and somewhat out of pure arousal. He squeezed Ren’s cock extra hard, making the man behind him swear.

Ren began to jerk Hux off in earnest. Hux tried to keep up but removed his hand from Ren’s pants, deciding instead to buck his ass against Ren’s large erection. Hux rested a hand on Ren’s hip, turning slightly so he could desperately try to feel Ren’s size against him. Ren hopelessly humped against his lover. 

He had a suspicion that Hux wore silk to make himself feel more pleased in his skin. Ren didn’t know if it was necessarily sexual but Hux enjoyed Ren fondling him with his pajamas still on. 

Ren wanted to wedge himself between Hux’s cheeks but couldn’t be bothered to let up the pleasure they were already building. Hux moaned around Ren’s fingers, wetly pleading and whining. The noise made Ren want to burst. The Knight was also gasping and panting into Hux’s ear. He bit the man’s lobe and gave a hard thrust against Hux as he squeezed the man’s dick.

“Mmh, Ren!,” Hux moaned, slobbering over Ren’s fingers. Hux threw his head back as Ren finished him off. Hux came in his silky trousers, letting out an enamored “ _Ky-lo._ ”

Hux relaxed into the sheets and let himself breathe, having stopped bucking back against Ren’s swollen bulge. But Ren wasn’t finished himself; he was still hot and heavy.

As Hux laid on his back, his shirt slightly pushed up and his pants barely on his hips, Ren moved to rest himself on top of the Grand Marshal’s waist, straddling him. Hux watched him with wide eyes. Ren removed his fingers from Hux’s mouth and used the same hand to pull out his obscene cock from his pants as if to show it off to Hux. Just like how he viewed the entirety of Ren, Hux looked at it with a mixture of awe at its beauty and disgust at its ugliness. 

Ren jerked himself off as he sat on Hux’s waist, letting the redhead see it all. Hux stayed still, only letting his chest rise and fall. 

“Fuck, Hux,” Ren moaned. To this day, he was amazed at how he got Hux to stay in his bed. The Grand Marshal hadn’t changed in looks— well he looked healthier— despite how Ren teased him about it being older. Hux was still beautiful in his own, special way. 

He didn’t know if this situation would last forever but Ren would do anything to keep Hux: at his side, in his bed, under his body…

Hux seemed to be dumbfounded by Ren’s actions. Hux stupidly put one hand against one of Ren’s thighs, feeling the strength of his skin. Just Hux’s warm touch could’ve made Ren sputter everywhere. 

“Ren?” Hux asked, confused but pleased. Ren bit his lip. 

“You’re so hot, Hux,” Ren said back, smirking for a second. Hux was already red all over but somehow Ren swore the man flushed more at the comment. Hux hates dirty talk in a way, he felt embarrassed by what he and or his partner said, yet it still had a certain effect on him he couldn’t deny. 

“You’re pretty,” Hux said, breathless, making Ren recall how he would call Hux pretty. Ren liked how Hux threw his words back at him. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Ren swore as he spilled himself violently across Hux’s silk-covered body. Hux closed one of his eyes, thinking Ren would shoot him straight in the face, but instead the farthest the man’s seed got was to his chin. 

Hux felt disgusting covered in white stains. But he was pleased. 

Ren panted for a few moments, his hair wet from his shower and now from some sweat. The Knight leaned down and gave his bewildered lover and deep, sloppy kiss before rolling off him and pulling his pants up. 

Hux sat up, looking at his messy self. “Now I have to take a shower. You prick.”

“You would shower every two hours if you could, I know you like the water,” Ren said, hiding his smirk. Hux huffed and got up. He grabbed the towels Ren had left around their room. 

“So we have a deal tomorrow?” Hux said, somewhat ruining the mood.

“I already said yes,” Ren replied. He hoped Hux didn’t think he was doing sexual favors for Ren. 

Hux quickly disproved him. “Good, because… I’m not against having a… _vacation_ if you will.”

Hux swiftly left before Ren could react to the words. _Vacation_? Hux was going to kill him through some wild sexcapades. And Ren felt thrilled by it. 

Ren threw a pillow over his eyes.

Life was positively glowing for the dark sider. Somehow he felt like that would change but he knew change was inevitable.

For now, he was glad Hux seemed to need him and much as he needed Hux. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RECAP OF CHILDREN OF WAR: In Part one, Hux and Kylo Ren (pre-tfa) are enemies with benefits fighting off their feelings for one another. On the planet QUIRINAL, Hux and Ren assumably inadvertently contaminant equipment that leads to the pod-development of the son: Ares. They try to find unity to raise their children, but numerous forces keep them from getting along. The deprivation leads them both to unfortunate paths, mostly leaving Hux alone to raise Ares in secrecy, but eventually, they come together (post-tlj) and also accept the arrival of a daughter, Galatea. With the Resistance battered, the future looks bright for the Order.
> 
> OOO HERE WE GO PART 2. Leave a comment! This year has been ROUGH lemme tell ya but here I am again. This series will contain more Resistance mentions as well cause u know we need someone to just keep these idiot dictators in line. 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Reoccuring non-canon characters mentioned:
> 
> Ares and Galatea Hux-Ren (about age 4 and 2 in the first chapter) 
> 
> Non-Canon Knights of Ren: Gyro, Arla, Vision, Nykita, and Vio Ren


	2. The Black Spire Outpost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAND we are back. hope you like character references and Hux and Kylo struggling to work together even though they actually love each other lmao. if you haven't read the original fic I suggest reading part 1 "Children of War." If you need a refresher on characters that are original for this story, there's a short description at the end notes. 
> 
> Leave a comment and a kudos!

“Adventure?” Ares asked at the high top table in their kitchenette. Galatea stared at her brother, stuck within the confines of her high chair. 

“Maybe. It’s just a trip, dearest. You best behave otherwise you won’t leave the ship, understand?” Hux instructed Ares. Ares nodded his head rapidly. Hux took his children’s bowls and empty cups to put them in the washer. 

Ren was dressed in his black-clad, caped outfit when he entered their space. His lightsaber was attached to his belt and he looked as fearsome as ever. As he came by, Galatea threw her arms up. 

“Da-Da-Da,” she chanted until he picked her up. She clung round his neck, hiding her face in his hair. Today, Galatea’s white hair was all tied back tightly into a pair of small buns that sat at the top of her head. 

“Me too!” Ares whined. Ren sighed but didn’t fuss, going over to his son and holding him up against him with his other strong arm. Hux snickered.

“Aw, my strong Supreme Leader brought down by mere children,” Hux teased as he gathered their things. Hux snuck a blaster into his back pocket, hidden by the tails of his coat. 

“I don’t know why you complain about carrying them both,” Ren said. 

“I’m not built like a beast like you. Some of us didn’t grow like wampas,” Hux shot back. Ren rolled his eyes. When Hux passed by close to him, he leaned down slightly to kiss him.

“Ick!” Ares complained, covering his eyes. He liked earning his parent’s attention, but he couldn’t say he liked it when his parents gave any attention to one another. 

Galatea didn’t care. She demanded, “Me too, me!” until Ren caved in and kissed his daughter on the nose. Hux knew it was normal for parents to greet their kids with kisses, but it was still weird to witness Kylo Ren do it. He should’ve been murdering villagers, not cooing over children. 

Hux couldn’t complain about this normalcy they created. He rather liked it. Ren’s anger was more suppressed and they got along great (they still fought, but rarely was it serious). Hux liked that his kids felt like they had a stable home life and that Hux would return to something familiar and comforting every day. 

It was nice to feel wanted. It was nice to get along. The Order was stronger that way. 

It still felt weird having stability. Hux felt like he should've been fighting with Ren or with his officers because that was what he was used to, yet he wasn't. 

They traveled to their shuttle. They couldn’t take the _Vanguard_ near Batuu. It would be too much of a threat of war and it would make Ren’s appearance on the planet less stealthy. They were without the Knights of Ren, but they did take a few extra stormtroopers with them, including two Sith troopers to stay on the ship. 

They were saluted everywhere they went. Hux and Ren kept their chins up as they paced; Ren a figure of strength and fear and Hux a symbol of regency and intelligence. 

Galatea sat on Hux’s arm in her black dress, already knowing how to react to troopers and officers. She focused on Hux instead of everyone else around her. Ares kept up his pace with his two fathers, though his little legs could only go so fast. He was refusing to be carried, thinking he wouldn’t look as strong as his fathers if he did so. 

They entered the shuttle, Ren always entering before Hux and the children. Ren always exited before them as well. He was always on his toes, like a hound on the hunt. 

Captain Mitaka and a few other officers saw them off. The two commanders trusted their ship to be run cleanly without them, but Hux always had little spies and moles littered about to make sure everything went perfectly. 

The family had their own room in the shuttle to wait in as they were flown to the Black Spire Outpost. Hux had his datapad out, reading about the outpost to make sure he had all his knowledge up to date. 

Ares kept trying to peer over Hux’s shoulder to see what he was reading. Ares pointed to a picture on the datapad. 

“I want that,” the child said. Hux raised an eyebrow.

“Blue milk? That’s pretty standard, Ares. You can get that a lot of places,” Hux told his son. 

“Oh.” Ares hopped down from his seat. Ren was sitting in his seat, leaning his head back and resting his eyes. 

“Ma, ma, ma,” Galatea called. She was sitting in a child’s seat attached to the cushioned bench Hux was sitting on. Hux grit his teeth and looked at Ren, who was smiling as his eyes stayed closed. 

Hux didn’t know how he did it, but Ren somehow convinced Galatea to call him ma or mum. Galatea knew Hux was 'papa', she acknowledged it, but she decided that calling Hux pa and ma were interchangeable. Hux couldn’t tell if she was doing it to antagonize him and play Ren’s game, or if she was just being a toddler. Hux knew it was probably the ladder, but a voice in the back of his head told him somehow Galatea knew Ren was trying to get her to make fun of her other dad. 

“What is it, Sweet Tea?” Hux replied anyhow. 

“Hungry?” She asked. 

Hux looked to Ren. “Did you bring anything? Your daughter wants food.”

“I’ll get them something after I investigate the outpost,” Ren said passively. Hux shifted his jaw. 

Galatea began to cry when she didn’t get her snack. It was the one thing that could make her cry: food. She had a pesky relationship with food. Like most young children, she only liked sweets and fatty foods and would throw a fit if anyone tried to give her something green. Ren usually caved in and gave Galatea what she wanted, always earning an ear full from Hux after. 

Galatea squirmed in the confines of her buckled seat, reaching for Ren and crying. They both knew she was being a manipulative little brat; she knew she could get anything out of Ren if she tried hard enough. But she didn’t know that there were no snacks. 

“Da da da!” She said between cries. Ren got up and released her from her seat, letting her sit with him until she calmed down. 

“There are no snacks, Galatea. Wait until I do my work,” Ren told her, wiggling a finger in her face. She grabbed his finger and squeezed it roughly; she was strong for a toddler. 

“No!” She insisted. She whined the rest of the trip. Her parents were patient. Ares openly covered his ears. 

Thus was the ways of the two First Order leaders: crushing enemies and comforting their whiny offspring. 

///

The children had fallen asleep by the time they reached the Batuu in the outer rim. One of the Sith troopers approached them, announcing their arrival. 

Ren carefully removed Galatea from his embrace and let her continue sleeping on the seat. Hux was still on his datapad, his work endless and uncaring of whatever he was doing. 

As the ship landed, Ren got up and retrieved his box case. The box was a sleek black with red lines on it. Ren pressed a button on it to release the opening. He reached into his box and pulled on his mask.

It was much like his old mask with the silver lining around the eyes but this new mask also had a red trim to decorate it. 

On the back of the new mask, there was also a very small First Order emblem, but it wasn’t what stood out the most. Ren only wore his mask when he went on missions. On the ship, he let his face show. He had grown more accustomed to letting the crew know his face, allowing him to develop better control of his poker face. 

Ren turned sharply to Hux who was absentmindedly petting Ares’ hair as he looked at his datapad. 

“I will come back and tell you when it is safe to come out with the children. If it isn’t, we will go elsewhere. You have a proper disguise for the occasion?” Ren said.

“I have clothing to make us unnoticeable, yes, but you are hardly subtle in your black clothes and mask. What is your plan for dressing when you return?” Hux asked, unsure if Ren thought ahead or if he was planning to not let Hux and the children leave the ship at all.

“Nevermind that. The security of the Black Spire Outpost is more important,” Ren said, the vocoder distorting his voice. Ares twitched in his sleep. 

Hux frowned. “Be quick. I can’t imagine your children having the desire to sit still if there’s a whole world outside.”

“The children or you?” Ren teased, but the vocoder made it sound more judgmental than intended.

“Piss off and do your job, Kylo.”

“Goodbye Grand Marshal. I expect a kiss when I return,” Ren said, heading out of the room. Hux couldn’t think of anything clever to say back. 

“Prick,” he muttered once Ren was completely gone.

Hux was left to his two children. Galatea woke up only a few minutes after Ren left, looking around for her daddy. She began to cry when she realized Ren left her without saying goodbye. 

Her crying awoke her brother who, in turn, also began to cry because he was woken up from a particularly nice nap. Hux groaned loudly, feeling similar to how he did when he used to raise them alone.

Much had changed in their relationship positively yet Hux couldn’t escape the feeling he was subservient to Ren. Out of technicality, he was, but he didn’t like feeling like it was his entire purpose to raise the children. Ren helped, but Ren wouldn’t let Hux go off the way he did. Hux understood why this was but it still bothered him. 

Looking at Ares’ and Galatea’s faces made him soften despite his aggravations. He couldn’t think of ever leaving them behind. They were his whole being; they were his future. 

It took him a while to calm them both down, but even when they stopped crying, they were still agitated. Ares was more vocal in his anger in how he whined and talked furiously while Galatea could only express her quiet anger with her rounded, pouty cheeks. 

“I’m hungry,” Ares asked. Hux dug around for a snack but there were truly no extra snacks for his kids. Damn Ren and his ill-preparedness. 

The only thing Hux could think to do was to go out into the Black Spire Trading Post and find his kids something to eat so they’d stop their crying. Hux also felt a strong desire to step outside onto a planet, he hadn’t done so in a long time. 

Ren would be furious if he left. But Hux told himself he’d be quick. 

He considered asking the Sith Trooper abroad to come with him for protection but knew the trooper was too red, too obvious amongst the crowd. Instead, Hux put on his best disguise. 

He strapped Galatea to his chest. She had her hair tied up and hidden under a hat to keep her white hair out of sight. Hux wore a brown cloak with a hood to hide his hair. He put a bandana over his mouth to further conceal his identity but he knew he’d be hot in the outfit. But if Ren could handle it in his stupid black outfits, Hux would deal with the heat and crowds as well. 

He wrapped Ares in a similar little brown cloak and put a little bandana over his mouth. Ares protested and pulled it down, not enjoying his nose and mouth being covered up.

“If you want to go outside, wear it. It’s dusty,” Hux told Ares, pulling the cloth back up over Ares’ mouth. Ares didn’t pull it off again, but he did pout. “When we go outside, you don’t let go of me, all right?”

“Yes papa,” Ares answered, grabbing onto Hux’s sleeve. Hux wasn’t wearing black gloves. He instead was wearing brown gloves that seemed like something someone with a speeder would wear. Ares thought his papa looked strange in his outfit; black was their usual colors. 

Hux made sure he had his weapons and credits. With Ares attached to his wrist and Galatea around his chest, they snuck off the ship.

Hux took a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in a long time.

Galatea and Ares took their first breath of natural air. 

///

The Black Spire Outpost was a bustling center of trade and transport. Ships were consistently landing and flying off and there were merchants everywhere, not to mention droids. 

They passed an astromech shop where alien children were playing with small BB units in various nonstandard colors. They giggled as their droids bumped into one another clumsily. Ares watched. 

“Don’t daddle, dear,” Hux told Ares, pulling him along.

The outpost had lots of greenery, more than Hux expected, but he could see mounds of reddish rocks in the distance surrounding the trading post. He figured there were caves about. Some merchants had built their shops into the natural terrain while others used it to park their speeders and ships.

Hux was proud to see stormtroopers walking about. Crowds would part when the troopers passed by. The three of them remained inconspicuous throughout it all. 

Their ship was parked near the First Order Cargo station, which was well protected. The area was marked by a large First Order flag and numerous troopers. Some were in the cargo station, resting or counting supplies. Hux wondered where Ren was.

Not too far from the station was the milk stand. Hux didn’t think that counted as a meal but Galatea reached her hand out to it, letting out a little cry of “please, please!” 

Hux scowled at the prices. Overpriced. He didn’t even know how sanitary it was but he felt more assured to see other parents give their kids the blue and green kinds of milk from creatures Hux didn’t know. 

They waited in line. Ares felt impatient and wiggled in Hux’s grip. Hux squeezed his son’s little arm, warning him to stay still. 

Something like a breeze brushed over Ares’ shoulder. When he turned to look, nothing was there. 

Ares looked up to his baby sister. She was staring at him intensely. He stuck his tongue through the fabric of his bandana. She sneezed, making Hux flinch. 

He bought Galatea her milk which he put in one of her sippy cups. She slurped on it happily but knew they were still hungry. 

“Stay with me,” Hux told Ares as they headed to Merchant’s Row. 

Merchant’s Row was busier than where the First Order Cargo was. It was bustling with people looking at goods and trying foods. All types of shops were put into the natural terrain.

There was a rather large eating area where droids roasted large beasts. It smelt divine. Galatea pulled the sippy cup out of her mouth and said, “please, please!” Hux sighed. 

As they waited in another line, Ares released himself from Hux’s grip. Hux was too focused on Galatea’s whining and messy face to worry about gripping onto his son. The Grand Marshal merely wanted to head back to the ship. He wiped Galatea’s milk-covered face with his thumb, earning more protest from her. He tried to push back the strands of hair poking out of her hat back in. 

Ares felt it again, that strange breeze against his ear. He turned to look and through the crowd, he saw a booth selling all sorts of toys. 

He looked to his father, who was busy with his sister, then back to the bin of toys. 

Ares slipped away easily. 

He toddled over to the booth away from the roasting shop and stared at the strange objects. There were plushie versions of stormtroopers and Resistance pilots alike and he even spotted a stuffed toy that sort of looked like his dad when he wore his helmet. There were wooden chips with strange symbols and little figures of all sorts of aliens.

Ares pulled a stuffed stormtrooper from the box and watched its long limbs drape over his little hands. He looked up across the dirt path and realized he couldn’t see his papa with all the people in the way.

He took in unsteady breaths and his eyes filled with tears. He wanted to cry out for his papa but was scared someone else might see him, or that his father would be mad. 

He had never been so alone. He didn't know what it felt like to not know where his fathers were.

“Are you lost?” An unfamiliar voice said. Ares turned around. 

He didn’t know who she was but he was certain he was staring at a girl. She was an older girl with her brown hair in three buns tied tightly behind her head. She had a sweet smile and a gentle face but when Ares looked into her eyes, he thought there was something fearless and comforting. 

Beside her was a BB unit with white and orange paint. The droid didn’t look like the ones on his ship nor did they look like the ones the other kids were playing with outside the astromech shop. It beeped at him and he blinked. 

“Um…” Ares didn’t know what to say. He suddenly felt very shy around this nice girl. She gave him a funny look. 

“Where are your parents?” She asked. Her accent reminded him of his papa’s. That brought Ares’ comfort. But she was still a stranger. 

Ares’ bandana dropped from his face and hung around his neck. Ares sniffled and tried to wipe his eyes, using the doll as a tissue. The twi’lek man that appeared to be a shop owner was staring at him. 

“Hey, are you going to pay for that?” he asked angrily. 

The girl stood up straight and waved a hand in his face. 

“I don’t need to pay for this,” she said. The twi’lek man straightened stiffly and had this weird look in his eye. Ares felt like it was a familiar look he’d seen before. 

“You don’t need to pay for that,” the man repeated, his voice devoid of emotion. The girl smiled.

“You’re giving this to this child for free because he’s sad,” she said. He repeated the phrase back and then walked back into his shop to count the credits. She bent back down to look at Ares.

Ares rubbed his nose again and gave her a curious look. He looked at her hands then to her clothes. Her outfit was strange. She had these sort of white robes with dangling pieces of fabric that looked deliberately placed. He didn’t know if it was a fashion statement or if she was poor. 

People in the First Order didn’t wear this stuff. He almost wanted to call her clothes ugly. 

Then he noticed the lightsaber on her belt. He knew immediately what it was by its style. 

Ren had let him look at holos of old lightsabers and some of the lady Knights of Ren even let him look at theirs, though theirs was different but had a similar length and color. Ares wasn’t allowed to even glance at his father’s lightsaber. 

“Are you like me?” He asked her. She blinked, clearly confused. 

“What?” She asked, sounding somehow startled. He squeezed his fist and the girl’s pupils seemed to dilate. 

“Ares!” Hux’s voice called. Ares looked to where the voice was coming from then back to the girl.

“Bye-bye,” he said before she could get another word out. 

He ran off and pushed through the crowd. Hux bent down and put his arms out to Ares, letting the little boy run into his embrace, squeezing Galatea between them.

Galatea whined loudly so Hux would let Ares go. Hux took Ares by the face and checked him, only observing that he had been crying.

“What did I tell you? I told you to stay with me! Don’t run off like that! You scared me,” Hux said angrily. Ares looked over his shoulder to see if the girl was somewhere behind him still. But she was gone. “Where did you get that?”

“It’s free,” Ares said. He technically wasn’t lying. 

Hux didn’t care to deal with it at the moment. Hux took Ares by his little hand. 

“This place is dangerous, do not ever run off again! You understand me?” Hux told him firmly. Ares shyly ran his foot through the dirt and nodded. Hux let out a sigh and let the moment pass. He would’ve disciplined Ares on the matter further if he didn’t feel like they were in a time crunch.

“Can I have,” Galatea asked, pointing to the drumsticks being cooked beyond the serving counter. Hux read the prices and did his best to identify anything his younglings could eat but everything seemed too grown-up; the food was too big for them to consume. 

“You won’t finish that Sweet Tea,” Hux said. Galatea pouted and laid her head firmly against Hux’s chest, annoyed she wasn’t getting her way.

They ended up wandering through the trading stands and purchasing some sweet flavored bang-corn. Hux fed Galatea pieces into her mouth by hand while Ares got his own little bag. He began shoving the colorful treat into his mouth messily. 

Hux stared at a section that had an assortment of exotic creatures from around the galaxy. There was a young loth cat in a little cage sleeping with a stuffed animal in its mouth. 

“Kitty?” Galatea asked, pointing at it. 

“Yes dear, a loth cat,” Hux explained. He let them look at it for a moment. The loth cat yawned and rolled onto its stomach, opening its eyes and staring at the three of them.

“Please? One, please? That one,” Galatea said. Hux rolled his eyes. 

“Galatea, you must stop asking for everything. You can’t have all you want. Otherwise, you’ll never learn to work hard. That’s half what’s wrong with your father,” Hux told her, a soft smile on his face. He gently ran a finger down her little nose, making her scrunch her face and giggle. He popped another corn into her mouth. 

He looked to the sky. Clouds were rolling in. He figured it was going to rain soon. 

As he walked away from the exotic animal traders, he didn’t notice how Galatea was peeking from beyond his body and staring at the loth cat’s cage. Before anyone could notice, the cage lock popped open and the kitten pressed its head up against the door. It scurried out quickly, causing a slight ruckus. One of the traders gasped but the cat was gone before he could go after it. 

They headed back towards the ship. Well, they tried to. The crowds were getting denser and Hux began to feel like he was getting followed. His children kept looking behind his back, which was a sure-fire signal that they too sensed something. They didn’t say anything though. Hux eyed them wearily. 

If Ren was following him, he would’ve made it clear. Hux decided not to go to the ship and headed another direction, squeezing Ares’ arm tightly to force the child to quicken his pace. 

He maneuvered his way towards the regular docking bay where he saw another building where food was available. At least there they wouldn’t be able to tell who he was. He thought he’d pop in somewhere visible just in case they were trying to snatch a Grand Marshal, but he also didn’t want them to think he was anyone important. 

Hux weaved through the crowds and ended up near a pile of crates, half hiding behind them to see if anyone would approach. For a moment, no one did. 

And then a slim finger tapped him on the shoulder.

Hux turned sharply, reaching for his blaster. The person put their hands up and he had to look down to meet their eyes. 

It was a young lady. She had dark hair and deep brown eyes like gemstones. She was wearing makeup and her hair was loose in curls that seemed unnatural like someone did her hair. 

Her face was vaguely familiar. He dug through his memories to try to recall where her face was familiar. Was this the scavenger? No, her hair was too dark and her skin was too tan and she was short. She was wearing a black cloak that seemed far too elegant for her surroundings and she had red ruby clips in her hair. 

Then he smelled something expensive in the air, something like gold and alcohol. 

All those years back, he knew her face from only one place: Canto Bight. That night Phasma took him to Canto Bight when Ares was still developing in his pod. 

She was there, gambling with Mitaka when he was a Lieutenant and mocking Hux and Mitaka for losing to her. She looked older now but she certainly was still young. 

“You—” he began, flustered.

“Ah, I wouldn’t try to blast me here, General. Even if these troopers are yours they’ll hardly recognize you dressed like that,” she said with a little smile. He groaned but knew she was right. 

She may have looked like a manipulative little empress, but she was just a girl. And for him to draw a blaster on her would be a good reason for someone to attack him, even with children around. He also didn’t want Ren to sense something was wrong. 

“How did you recognize me? You were there that night, on Canto Bight. I remember. You were that girl,” Hux told her through his teeth. 

“I saw a flash of fiery hair. Let’s just say that. You may dress inconspicuously, but let’s say I’m good at noticing suspicious characters,” she explained vaguely. “And it’s Miss Kane. I remember having drained your poor Lieutenant dry of his money. I’m surprised you do remember. You got pretty wasted.” 

“I have a good memory,” he said. He’s embarrassed by the thought of that night so long ago where he drank himself silly and then cried in Ren’s arms. That was before Ares.

Hux felt like it was weird for there to be a world before Ares. Those memories before him felt wrong somehow. 

She was looking at Galatea. “and who”—her eyes looked down to Ares—“are these fine babies.” He doesn’t want to say anything to her. He doesn’t even know why she’s talking to him. She seemed to sense his reluctance. “Tell you what. How about I talk to you and the younglings to Oga’s Cantina. It’s usually like a two-hour wait to get in but I’ll get us in easily. We can talk there.” 

“Why should I bother talking to you?” He inquired, pushing Galatea’s face so she’d stop staring at Miss Kane. The toddler nuzzled her face into her father’s chest, but she doesn’t seem to do it like she’s afraid. Hux was thinking Galatea was trying to comfort him. 

“Because it’s going to rain,” she said with a strange smile. At that very moment, a water droplet hit Hux on his cheek and he looked up. The sky was grey and the crowds began to put up their hoods or find their umbrellas. “And I think your children are hungry.”

Hux looked down at Ares who squirmed in his grip. He looked like he wanted to say something. 

“You have something that interests me?” Hux asked her. 

“Perhaps. Perhaps I’ve even seen the ship you’re looking for,” Miss Kane said. She was practically waving bait in his face but Hux felt inclined to take it. “Lots of beings on Batuu want to keep their secrets and get a hold over this port.” 

“Fine. But you are paying for our meal,” he said as if he had the right. She merely nodded, her hands tucked behind her back. Hux reluctantly followed her, suppressing the instinct to shoot her in the back of her head.

He didn't need the children to see any of that yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Hux is a bit of a squirmy worm, but if you were stuck on ships most of your life, wouldn't you jump at the opportunity to explore? 
> 
> Leave a comment! I am consistently unmotivated to do anything; save me. 
> 
> Original Character Refresher  
> MISS KANE: In Children of War, Miss Kane was introduced briefly during a First Order 'getaway' to Canto Bight. She is a skilled gambler who managed to get a lot of credits out of Mitaka and Hux. She previously tempted Hux with the prospect of important information, but because Hux and Mitaka lost to her at sabacc, she collected her winnings and left.


	3. Old Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear im a writer im just slow. ANOTHER CHAPTER WOOO,, the plot thickens. I hope everyone is doing well. I suddenly got the urge to write, can you believe it?
> 
> I've been reading and writing book reviews recently... but even that has slowed down.
> 
> anyway, leave a kudos and a comment! comments really motivate me.

Hux followed Miss Kane through the crowd to a building carved out of the beige-orange stone that made up the area. He saw a sign that read “Oga’s Cantina,” pointing in the direction of the entrance.

There was a long line to get in but Miss Kane led them to the door where she whispered something to the bouncer. The bouncer, a chagrian with bluish skin and large horns that almost scraped the ceiling, nodded and let the door slide open. 

The inside was bustling with music and patrons of all species. The bar was packed and decorated with all sorts of strange devices to hold its various liquors.

A human girl led them to an empty booth that seemed to have recently been cleaned. It was almost as if Miss Kane’s presence opted the cantina to kick out whoever was sitting there. 

They slid into the seats, Kane on one end and Hux on the other. Hux unwrapped Galatea from her carrier and let her sit beside him. Ares sat in the middle between them but was closer to Hux’s side as expected. Hux removed the bandana from his mouth but kept his hood up, not wanting anyone to see his hair. Ares also removed his mouth covering and his golden curls were unleashed from its hood. 

Miss Kane unsnapped her cloak to reveal a lovely red and black dress. It had sleeves that went up to her wrist and snuggly wrapped around her body to emphasize her shape. She was wearing a golden bracelet on her left wrist. Hux disliked her flash of wealth.

A waiter walked by and went directly to Kane. 

“Get me a carbon freeze. And for the gentleman, a blurrgfire. Give the two kiddies a blue bantha. Oh! And happabore sampler. Do get some cushions for the younglings to sit on,” she told the waiter. He nodded and walked off. Hux deduced she had been here before. 

A droid of some sort was the one controlling the music, bobbing to its music. Ares was leaning over the table to look at it and Hux snapped at him to sit down. 

“I don’t drink alcohol,” he insisted, gesturing to his two children. 

Kane was smirking at him. “Don’t worry, this place is family-friendly. I ordered us drinks without alcohol.” Hux felt like she was making fun of him. “And I hope you don’t mind that I gave your kids sugary drinks.”

“It’s fine,” he said. She tilted her head, curious of him. “You said you had information about the ship we are looking for.” 

“Oh yes. I mean, Kylo Ren’s troopers have been stricter lately, looking for this Millennium Falcon. The ports here are free for coming and going so they can’t keep track of every ship and technically, this is still disputed territory despite it being First Order property.” 

“Disputed? Hardly,” Hux muttered but Miss Kane seemed to catch on to his snarky remarks. She was somewhat correct; all sorts of gangs and businesses wanted control of the port. The Order was hardly the only one trying to control the lands. “Is the Falcon here? Surely Kylo Ren has found it already.” 

“ _Perhaps_ Kylo Ren has already found it, but who knows. Batuu is a nice planet to be inconspicuous. It’s also a nice planet to find what you need,” Kane said vaguely. He gritted his teeth.

“How about you just tell me what I want to know,” he insisted, tapping his fingers against his lap.

Galatea was staring at Miss Kane rather intensely. Kane looked at her for a moment, her eyes strange, and then suddenly Galatea looked away, going to bother Ares instead. Hux didn’t know what to make of the situation. He didn’t like the idea of Kane intimidating his children.

“How about you pay up first.” He hated her smile. It’s a pretty smile, but he hated that she knew she’s smart. Kane fluttered her long lashes at Hux as if to mock him. 

“How can I pay if I don’t know the quality of something,” Hux retorted.

“Well, I’m paying for your younglings’ meals. Certainly, that’s enough for you to at least have the courtesy to make this exchange somewhat fair. I somehow get the feeling you’re not supposed to be here,” she said back. He ground his teeth together.

Hux gave in and reached into one of his bags to put a little satchel of credits on the table. Miss Kane doesn’t take it, she just eyes it carefully. 

“Is that enough?” He asked, annoyed. 

“Probably.” She took the bag and stuffed it into her purse.

The waiter came back with a platter of strange meats, cheeses, and pork cracklings. The waiter handed Hux two cushions which he used to put under his children’s bottoms, allowing them to be elevated off the bench to better see and reach over the table. 

“I’ll be back with your drinks,” the waiter said in a strange accent. 

Miss Kane placed a pork crackling in her mouth and chewed in a way Hux found condescending. He could hear the crispy snack pop in her mouth with every bite. He didn’t like how she acted as if she knew him; like she knew how to manipulate him. 

He shouldn’t trust her, he knew that, yet he somehow felt enthralled by her presence. Perhaps it’s the way she carried herself; her confidence and smugness somehow reminded him of Kylo (if he wasn’t so grim all the time). Hux imagined if Kylo had taken more of Han Solo’s personality, he would’ve perhaps acted like Miss Kane. Then again, she was far more regal than Ren or his late father (not that Hux had any encounters with Han Solo; he only knew the stories). 

The kids looked to Hux, begging with their eyes to be allowed to try some.

“Don’t be sloppy,” he said. Ares and Galatea carefully pick up something they thought looked tasty. They ended up eating the cheeses from the platter. 

Hux didn’t pick any of the food up as if to rebel against her. Kane rolled her eyes and kept silent until their drinks were brought.

Kane’s carbon freeze is bubbling and little popping bubbles are floating around the drink, whipping to the top and bottom. The children stare at her bubbling drink curiously. When the children’s drinks arrived, they immediately brightened at the sight of the sugary concoctions. They received blue milk with a large cookie on top. 

The milk was decorated with sprinkles and a sugared rim; Hux was always anticipating that they’d get a sugar rush later. 

Hux sipped at his drink. It was sweet but had a small bite to it he wasn't upset by. Miss Kane happily downed half her bubbling drink before speaking again. 

“Sightings of Resistance members have been frequent here from the disruptions by this blue-haired orange jacket pilot to the actual sightings of a certain Jedi girl I believe Kylo Ren has a large interest in,” Kane explained. They didn’t notice how Ares twitched at the description. “They’ve been, from my knowledge, taking things from the planet and disrupting communications between the First Order. There may be more… activity here with the Rebels than seems necessary. Like they are planning to take it over but everyone is trying to take over the port.”

“Is that so? Sounds like the information I could’ve gotten from anyone,” he said bitterly, nursing his drink afterward. 

“Really? Did your intelligence know that the Rebels recently acquired kyber crystals from the outpost?” She replied, shoving some more of the exotic meats into her mouth. “Or perhaps that the Resistance has been growing more than the Order has assumed.”

“How would you even know that.”

“When you aren’t picking sides, people tend to feel like you don’t care about information. They are mistaken though,” she explains, twirling a finger in her hair. “Besides it’s not hard to see when you look not in dark corners of the galaxy and look at the light.” 

Hux’s eyes widened for a moment. He wasn’t like Ren (obviously enough) but he knew the power of kyber crystals. It powered Ren’s saber and it could power weapons. He could only wonder what the Rebels were doing with the kyber: perhaps building lightsabers or weapons to fight them with. 

He could assume that the Resistance was going to grow back in numbers, but he thought the Order’s greater reach across the galaxy would deter that greatly. 

“Interesting,” he told her.

“Not as interesting as the rumors that the Resistance has a base here,” she said. Hux scoffed.

“Really? So close to the Outpost? Come on now Miss Kane, it’s not that easy to hide in plain sight.” Hux leaned back and downed his sweet drink. He looked over to his children. Ares was covered in cookie crumbs and Galatea was gingerly trying to break the cookie into smaller pieces to put into her mouth. 

Miss Kane reached into her bag and then smacked something on the table, making the two children flinch. Hux raised an eyebrow and reached over to pick up the little metal object.

It was a pin— no— it was the emblem of the Rebels. He turned over the pin but the back was plain. She could’ve gotten the pin anywhere but somehow Hux knew she wasn’t lying that this was from a Resistance member or sympathizer that was on the planet.

“Where’s their base then?” Hux asked.

“Can’t say for sure. The constant bustle of this place makes it hard to pinpoint a location. Even if your troopers or Ren or I have a lead, it’s easy to get lost in the Outpost. They are most likely getting supplies. The Resistance has been quiet for a while, but it just means they are being careful.”

“And whose side are you on?” Hux questioned her. Galatea tried to offer Hux a bite of her cookie but he refused. 

Miss Kane didn’t answer for a moment and Hux raised his head slightly, his eyes darkening. 

“I help for who I see is the best shot for the future. Or whoever has the most money,” she said, her smirk looking cruel. Ares sulked downward, slouching. “But between you and me, perhaps I have a soft spot for the First Order.”

She winked at him, but Hux didn’t understand what she meant. “That’s not a phrase I hear often.” 

“Well, I bet you don’t see or hear a lot of things often since you never come down from your ships. Say, why are you here? It’s unlike you to come down to planets, isn’t it?” She asked as if she knows him so well. 

Hux thought of Ren, furious at the sight of the empty transport. Hux sighed and collected his children, wrapping Galatea in her sling and hurrying Ares along.

“I think I overpaid you but think of it as paying for my meal. I’ll be along, Miss Kane. Stay out of trouble,” he said, beginning to leave.

“You as well, Hux,” she replied, putting her drink to her lipsticked lips. 

When he exited, the skies were still grey but the rain had become a drizzle. He headed back to the ship, digging his hand into his pocket and pulling out his comlink.

He held on extra tight to Ares. Ares wiped his head around, suddenly overwhelmed by the number of people. 

Hux contacted Ren. 

“ _Do you need something?_ ” Ren answered, sounding somewhat like he was catching his breath.

“Did you find a Resistance Base?” Hux asked, trying his best to weave through the dense crowds.

“ _What? No— how did you find that out?_ ” Ren asked. “ _Hux, you didn’t leave the ship, did you?_ ” 

He could feel the rising anger in Ren’s voice. Hux rolled his eyes. 

“I have my own intel. You best tell me why you’re really on this planet because I know for a fact that you didn’t come all this way just because the Falcon was here. There’s more,” Hux scrutinized. 

“ _Are you accusing me of something, Grand Marshal?_ ”

“I’m just asking you for the truth—”

There was an explosive sound behind Hux. He ducked down for a moment, but nothing had come to hit him. He wiped around to see that one of the ships in the docking bay had blown apart. 

Black smoke rose into the air; the drizzle of rain would be of no use against the fire. 

People started rushing around and troopers tried to approach the docking bay to inspect it, but they were attacked by hooded figures with blasters.

Then the chaos began.

“ _Hux! Are you all right?_ ” Ren cried through the comlink. He didn’t realize Ren was still there.

Ares sniffled and Hux bent down and ordered for Ares to jump on his back. Ares wrapped his arms around Hux’s neck and clung onto him tightly. 

Hux began to push his way through the crowd, an arm carefully making sure that Ares would let go of him and fall. 

“I’m fine, what’s going on,” Hux asked as he ran. 

Someone bumped into Hux hard and he dropped the comlink. He wanted to go get it but the sounds of blaster fire made Galatea cry so he ignored his lost object and ran off without it, heading to the shuttle. 

Stormtroopers were trying to calm and move the crowds but there were too many people to handle. Hux didn’t know who they were firing at.

Ares, for only a second, caught the eye of a hooded woman carrying a lightsaber in her hand. They met each other’s eyes. She didn’t see who Ares was holding onto, but Ares felt something strange ripple through the air. 

His ears began to ring. 

Ares hated all the noises around him. It hurt his ears and the smokey smell clogged his throat. 

The only comfort was his father. Hux repeated “stay with me, loves” as he ran, igniting the smallest bits of hope into his children.

Hux could see their ship in sight, still waiting for them to return.

It was a beam of light for a moth. Hux couldn’t think of anything but the ship. He jumped right onto the platform and released the latch doors.

He ran on and quickly closed the doors up, half considering to fly off without Ren so the ship wouldn’t blow.

“Daddy,” Galatea whined in a soft, scared voice. She nuzzled her face into Hux’s chest, frightened. Ares didn’t lookup

There was blood on the floor.

And there was someone unfamiliar pointing a blaster at Hux. 

///

Ren had combed through almost all of the ports and loaders to try to pinpoint where and why the Resistance had come. He knew Rey had been to Batuu. He knew she brought along her friends.

He knew also that he was too important now to busy himself with the pathetic Resistance but he still felt as though he had unfinished business with Rey. He hated to think that, despite him destroying her rebellion, she got the last word. He still remembered how she slammed the door in his face.

He desired to do the same to her still, to say ‘look at me now’ and show his empire. Then kill her for thinking she could be anything without him. 

He also thought about that defector stormtrooper Rey had taken an obvious liking to. He was sure Hux would still like to avenge Phasma and fix his embarrassing issues that had been caused by that man. 

Poe Dameron would be nice served on a platter too. Ren didn’t say it aloud, but he was sort of jealous of the pilot. He had the inkling suspicion that even though Hux hated Dameron, that Hux found him _handsome_. It filled him with rage. 

He hated Dameron almost in the same way he hated Rey; they were his replacement in Leia’s heart. He wanted nothing more than for his mother to forget about him and stop trying to make the dirty stones of her rebellion into diamonds, but she was resilient and stubborn.

But so was he. 

He wondered if Leia knew about Ares and Galatea. He wasn’t exactly sure if the information had leaked from his ships that two children were running around the _Vanguard_ that would often cling onto the Supreme Leader. It would be high treason to do so, but the information would be just too good not to share.

By the time he put his lightsaber through an irritating mechanic, he was worn out. He couldn’t be bothered with searching everyone for information about the Falcon. It seemed Leia’s lot was getting smarter with their choices; they didn’t seem as bold and brash and interacted with people less. 

Ren groaned in frustration, his vocoder making it sound like a feral growl. His Red Fury unit merely watched him. He liked this stormtrooper unit more than any other, even when they failed him. They never had any doubts about him, they never questioned him, and they always did what was in his best interest. 

An officer approached him. Officer Anjay was a part of his 709th legion on Batuu. She saluted him and her face was stern, but he could sense the wariness rolling off her like the mist over an ocean.

“Supreme Leader, sir, the Falcon has not been spotted but intel suggests it was here a few moons cycles prior. No sign of any notable Rebels, sir,” she reported. He growled through his vocoder but didn’t lash out at her. If Galatea and Ares taught him anything, it was patience. 

“I see,” he replied coldly. It seemed as though no one could find any new information. Impatiently, Ren sent the officer off with a harsh, “Don’t report back to me unless you have any _good_ news.”

The woman bowed her head slightly, outwardly undeterred by his crudeness, though on the inside her gut twisted. 

He liked being Supreme Leader and having all this power over everyone, but he also hated having to communicate with everyone constantly. Talking to people was more of Hux’s thing. He rather just be the iron fist while his partner had the silver tongue. He hoped his children would have their combined skills. 

Like clockwork, his comlink buzzed. Ren groaned to himself, allowing his troopers to do their jobs so he could answer calls. 

“What?” Ren said aggressively. 

“ _Hello, Master_!” the voice of one of his knights, Gyro Ren, said in a sing-song voice. 

“I told you not to contact me unless it was an emergency, you petulant child,” Ren prematurely criticized. Gyro merely laughed, his voice sounding somewhat staticky. 

Ren huffed, realizing he was using Hux’s insults on his knights. 

“ _How do you know it isn’t an emergency_ ?” Gyro Ren asked. Ren could sense his smugness and used the Force to mentally give Gyro a little nudge in his head, giving the feeling one got when they sat up too fast. “ _Fine. I am contacting you because several of the captains are concerned with your upcoming trip to Mustafar._ ”

“Did they vocalize these concerns?” Ren questioned, traveling through the port and observing what everyone was doing.

“I _sensed it._ ”

“Why should I care what they think? We are going to Mufastar.” 

“ _I don’t particularly have any concerns but Grand Marshal Hux asked me to observe the crew. If they are wondering about Mustafar then Grand Marshal will then come to you. I know you wish to please your spouse.”_

“We aren’t married,” Ren said bitterly, his brows knitting together. “And you don’t work for Hux. If he is wondering what my missions are for, he can ask.” 

“ _Master, may I ask why we are going to Mustafar? It has been a while since you asked to assemble all the knights,_ ” Gyro asked more politely. 

Ren looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching or listening. Despite rising to power, he felt like the things he thought were the easiest to control happened to be the ones acting out. 

His knights, for instance, were more personable and showing off their personalities more. He attributed this mainly to their loss of connection to Snoke, but it still irritated him to watch them ask questions, though it was only really Gyro and Arla Ren who went out of their way to speak out of line. But they were specially picked by him. 

He couldn’t control Hux for the life of him, not that he wanted to redevelop any toxicity between them. Hux freely snapped at him when he pleaded and even if Ren threatened him, Hux thought nothing of it. Somehow it felt meaningful like he could see a playful little light in Hux’s eyes when he got under Ren’s skin. 

And then, of course, was Galatea and Ares. No one could control children that well. 

Ren suddenly felt a light heat rising in his cheeks. He looked over his shoulder once more before replying to Gyro. He didn’t see the need to keep this secret from his knight. Even Gyro would know better than to act out when Ren divulged something personal. You could cut off each of Gyro’s fingers and toes and scoop out his red eyes and the knight still wouldn’t give up Kylo’s secrets. 

“We must take over the planet and retrieve an artifact. Vader’s castle lies there, surrounded by cultists who have been ruining the land with their irontrees,” Ren told his knight. He swallowed hard.

“ _Oh, what’s this artifact?_ ”

“A piece of black kyber. I’m sure there are many treasures and secrets within the castle but I’m looking for the powerful kyber.” Ren stared at a trooper that suddenly looked at him. The trooper scurried off so Ren could continue his conversation, “Snoke’s ring is from a Sith cave on Mustafar near Vader’s castle, but it’s made of obsidian. I am not opposed to taking obsidian, but I believe he was looking for black kyber but couldn’t access it.” 

“ _I see. What will this black kyber bring us? A powerful saber for your son? Riches? Knowledge?_ ” 

Ren paused. “It’s not a whole piece, I believe. I’m… I am giving it to Grand Marshal Hux.” 

“ _What? He can’t do anything with it,”_ Gyro said, appalled. 

“It’s a tradition…” Ren stopped himself from stammering, suddenly feeling stupid. “I will propose marriage to Hux with a ring of black kyber and fortify our relationship. It is the best course for the galaxy and my children.” 

Gyro didn’t say anything for a moment, completely unlike himself. Ren almost asked if the knight was on the line before an excited yelling came through the comlink. 

“ _THANK FORCE_! _A beautiful day indeed! My Master will be more powerful! Many people also owe Arla and I credits, blessed day!_ ” Gyro cheered. 

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He took in a deep breath. His comlink buzzed; someone else was trying to contact him. 

“Keep your mouth shut, or I’ll crush all your teeth. Do not bring this up to anyone, not even the knights.” Ren left it at that and picked up the next call. 

“Do you need something?” Ren said, huffing loudly through his nose.

“ _Did you find a Resistance Base?_ ” Hux asked. Ren stiffened, not expecting Hux to start with such a sentence. 

“What? No— how did you find that out?” Ren questioned hurriedly, trying to keep his voice low. “Hux, you didn’t leave the ship, did you?” 

“ _I have my own intel._ ” Ren was rather curious of who this intel was because he desired to strangle them. “ _You best tell me why you’re really on this planet because I know for a fact that you didn’t come all this way just because the Falcon was here. There’s more._ ” 

“Are you accusing me of something, Grand Marshal?”

“ _I’m just asking you for the truth—_ ”

The earth rumbled under Ren’s feet and the building he was in shook. He looked around, seeing a few troopers also stumble and then hurry out of the building. 

More concerning than that was the fact Ren could hear the explosive sound more clearly from Hux’s end of the comlink. 

“Hux! Are you all right?” Ren cried into the comlink. He looked up 

“ _I’m fine, what’s going on_?” Hux frantically asked. Ren could hear Hux panting and the background noises of crowds yelling.

Ren turned sharply around to Officer Anjay who had sprinted back to him from wherever she had been. Her lips parted but Ren yelled “Status report!” before she could speak. 

“Sir, an explosive has occurred near one of the docking bays! We are seeing who it was by. We cannot be sure if it was Resistance,” she told him, her eyes wide. He gritted his teeth. 

Ren went back to his comlink. “Hux, I will be back right away!” 

There was no answer. Ren felt a coldness spread across his body. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, summoning him to find Hux and his children. 

He shouldn’t have let them come. It would have earned Hux’s disdain, but Ren wished he left Hux in the safety of the _Vanguard_ where he could be surrounded by guards and the emptiness of space. 

He turned sharply to the officer. “Do not show your face again to me unless you have any good information!”

She nodded nervously and scurried off. He knew he had already given her that warning, but this time he meant it.

Once she was out of sight, Ren dashed for an exit. 

The outside in the Black Spire Outpost, chaos was palpable in the air. Patrons, merchants, pilots alike were sprinting every which way. Some stormtroopers were pulling certain pedestrians aside to yell at them or swiftly whisk them away under the assumption they were a possible suspect. 

Ren could see the smoke rising in the distance and ran back towards his ship, two Sith troopers following behind to make sure nobody would try to test their Supreme Leader (not that Ren needed protecting). 

But his ship was gone.

Where it had been parked was now just an empty spot. There were some stormtroopers on the scene of where his transport had been. 

Ren didn’t realize how still he was standing until someone bumped into his shoulder in their attempt to escape the chaos. Almost instinctively, he clenched his fist and crushed their neck without looking. A body of a random alien boy flopped onto the ground which somehow got some of the crowd to clear out as they realized Supreme Leader Kylo Ren was standing there. 

Ren tried to contact Hux with his comlink again. 

“Armitage!” he yelled into it angrily, his mind somehow drifting into a hopeless place where Hux betrayed him. 

He heard his voice echo behind him. Ren’s head slowly looked over his shoulder to spot a little black something shimmering on the dirt ground. He went over to it and picked it up, realizing it was Hux’s comlink. Parts of it seemed to have been crushed under someone’s heel. 

He wished this was a betrayal rather than what he knew it was.

“What happened?” he snapped to the nearest stormtrooper. It was a member of his Red Fury legion, luckily, who was prepared to handle Ren’s fury. 

“Sir, the ship was overtaken by pirates. We have not identified what gang has taken the ship,” the trooper said, saluting. 

Ren turned to him, looming over him like the grim reaper. 

“And what about the Grand Marshal and the children?” Ren said through his teeth, a shadow cast over his eyes. The stormtrooper felt a pressure against his neck and swallowed hard enough that his vocoder revealed the sound of his nervousness.

“...gone with the ship, we believe.” 

It was the trooper’s last words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would this be a kylux fanfic without angst. honestly. they can't stay out of trouble. that must be awkward... honestly can you blame anyone for wanting to cause these two trouble like,, Ren is a damn disaster. but I will be damned if I don't write a kylux marriage somewhere here! too bad it's going poorly already lmao
> 
> I hope the kylux fandom stays active despite the trilogy being over. because I still gotta write this fanfic lol
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> also, make sure to wear a mask if you go out in public!


	4. The Sun Will Rise Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i honestly just wanna go back to school AHHH. hope everyone is doing well. here we got a high raising stakes chapter. but that's every chapter I guess. i like making webs of stories, connecting every piece
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos!!
> 
> CW: slight torture references, kidnapping

The _Vanguard_ was tense, to say the least. The Black Spire Outpost was on lockdown and anyone who so much as coughed too loudly in Ren’s vicinity perished quickly without even getting a glance.

Ren didn’t know how this could have happened. He is quick to regret ever agreeing to let Hux and his children leave the safety of the First Order’s ships, even with him so close by. 

The threads of Ren’s mind unraveled quickly because of the stress of not knowing where Hux was, who had his children, or if they were alive. He assured himself that his children and Hux were alive given that the Force didn’t tell him otherwise.

Still, he had learned the Force loved to play games. 

The Knights of Ren were all stationed on the _Vanguard_ , overlooking the overworked officers and helping in extracting information from assumed terrorists or witnesses. 

Ren was heaving, covered in blood from a recent interrogation. He usually would not be so messy in how he hurt people (Hux would beg to differ) but at the moment he was finding great momentary relief from using traditional blades or his fingers to watch his enemies bleed.

It only took a few hours for Ren to already wear out his staff and himself completely. The crew honestly wasn’t surprised their Supreme Leader wasn’t _more_ violent. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about Hux’s soft face and the large eyes of his children. He recalled those instances when Ares was young where Hux was battered and bruised by Ren’s hand and how those memories are the only things he truly regretted. This somehow felt similar. 

Letting Hux escape through his fingers felt like he had hurt him all over again. He only hoped Hux wouldn’t return battered and bruised. 

He couldn’t find any connection to the Resistance with his ship’s disappearance. The ship wasn’t responding to any contacts made to it and the tracking system seemed to be shut down. 

Ren was hunched over in the medbay as a droid bandaged his bruised knuckles that had been senselessly beating into skulls and walls. 

One of his Knights of Ren, Arla, arrived in the medbay, helmeted and all. 

“Master Ren,” she said with a little bow. 

“Find anything?” His voice was deep and dark, hinting at his willingness to crush everything in the room if Arla’s strayed only a little.

“Yes.” Ren perked up slightly, but his jaw shifted. “Not good news though.”

“Tell me.”

“The shuttle you arrived on was abandoned near a moon close to Batuu, though there’s no evidence that Grand Marshal Hux had landed on that moon,” she explained. “Whoever took him must have switched him onto another ship.” 

It wasn’t necessarily a Knight of Ren’s job to do work typically handed to the officers, but the Knights were also the only ones who could usually avoid Ren’s wrath. 

“And what was left on the shuttle?” Ren aggressively pulled himself away from the med droid and it showed off. 

“Bodies of stormtroopers.” Ren’s face soured. “Some articles of clothing. I guess that the Grand Marshal was knocked out in some way and taken to this second ship.”

“And my children?”

Arla shifted uncomfortably. “They weren’t there. Taken with Grand Marshal Hux, presumably. Though it seems unlikely that they are dead.” 

Ren assumed that much, but it was nice to hear someone say it. “Anything else?”

“Most likely not Resistance interference but certainly someone knew Hux was on that ship. Or they have been targeting First Order wares for a while,” she explained. “I am no expert on those things. Ask Captain Mitaka.” 

With that, Ren dismissed her.

He stared at his wrapped knuckles, annoyed. He’d break all his fingers for the safe return of his children. More importantly, he’d break everyone else’s fingers for them back.

Hux had a way of being the devil on his shoulder, whispering things into his ear even when he wasn’t there. He tried to think rationally as Hux would want. 

They were investigating the abandoned ship and searching Batuu, what more could he do but break some bones for information?

 _Take a breath_ , he imagined Hux would say. So he did. 

_Be a good leader. If you crack under pressure, so will they,_ he continued to imagine.

Kylo Ren got off the medical bench and adjusted his clothing, ready to make sure his crew was ready to carefully navigate the galaxy to find Hux swiftly. 

He knew this would reflect poorly into him later in Hux’s eyes.

He wanted to wed Hux but allowing Hux to disappear would diminish his chances. The man was already so fickle about everything, and Ren knew that even with all the time that went by between them, he was still on thin ice. 

Ren feared that Hux would laugh in his face if he ever asked to wed him. He had this recurring nightmare that he would hand a plain golden ring to Hux and the Grand Marshal would grimace and throw it away. Dream Hux would say it was better if they weren’t attached— if the children didn’t think of them as a unit so they wouldn’t mourn them equally if they were gone one day. Ren didn’t understand the dream. He disliked his dreams. 

Then again, when he shut his eyes he imagined him almost comically carrying Hux to safety, his children cheering at their father’s bravery. Perhaps he read too many comic-holos as a child. 

Whether the unfortunate series of events would deter his wedding plans didn’t matter. He had to find Hux.

He’d bleed the stars, vanish suns, and melt moons if it meant seeing Hux and his children return safely. 

Every little cut or minor bruise on Hux’s pale skin would result in massacres.

And Ren planned for even worse to come if his children even looked mildly upset. 

He sat down on the floor, cross-legged, and meditated. 

_Hux_ he called out into the universe.

///

There’s a ringing in Hux’s ear that he doesn’t understand. He tried to open his eyes but failed initially; he was too tired and in too much pain for his body to allow him to move. 

A voice slowly came into his ears, indistinguishable at first, but too familiar for Hux to even listen to his body. 

“Papa,” Ares was crying. 

Hux opened his eyes wide and sat up abruptly, gasping. 

Ares was sitting on a floor, wiping his eyes and trying to calm himself by sucking his thumb. The boy had a stormtrooper doll wrapped in his clutches. 

Hux went over to Ares and quickly pulled him close, almost forgetting that somehow Galatea was still wrapped to his chest. 

He pulled Ares to his side. 

“Hush up, dear,” Hux commanded; he had trouble refocusing himself with Ares crying. Ares tried to calm himself as Hux observed the room.

He wasn’t bound to anything but he didn’t see an obvious way out of the small, grey room. By how the floor hummed, he could tell he was on a ship. 

Galatea whined softly against his chest, squirming in the confines of her wrap. He imagined she was quite uncomfortable from being strapped to his chest for so long. He took her out of her sling and put her on the ground so she could stretch her little limbs.

“Ares,” Hux said softly, trying to soothe his son. When Ares stopped crying, Hux asked, “who took us?”

“Big guys,” Ares tried to explain, but Hux knew getting a coherent explanation out of a toddler wouldn’t be fruitful. 

“Aliens?” Hux questioned. 

“They have masks,” Ares said, putting his hands over his face to demonstrate. Hux sighed. Ares began whimpering again. “I want Daddy.” 

“He’ll come, darling,” Hux told him, drawing in his two children to rest against his body. 

Hux felt a slight pain in his back as the kids pressed against him. He tried to remember what had happened. 

The intruder must’ve hit him with a stun setting. Galatea seemed fine, so Hux assumed he turned around at the last second to protect his children from

the blast. 

His next thoughts wandered towards who would have wanted to kidnap him. The Resistance would’ve been an obvious answer but he doesn’t think that’s true: this kidnapping job was messy and he wouldn’t think the Resistance would’ve let him wake up without them there to watch him. Not to say there weren’t cameras in the room. 

The ship suddenly shook violently and everything went quiet. Hux pressed his ear against the wall, his children still wrapped around him. He swore he could hear a soft crying in the next room. 

“Hello?” he asked. The crying suddenly stopped. “Who’s there?”

The voice answered but in a language he didn’t understand. He gritted his teeth and looked around again, his mind racing.

There’s only one option he could think of that made sense: this was a slave ship. 

He swallowed hard and flinched as a loud rapping came at their door. Ares let out a whine and Hux pet his head.

“Whatever you do, don’t let go of me. Do you understand?” he said to Ares, standing up slowly. Ares grabbed Hux’s leg and squeezed it tight. 

Hux reached behind him as the door opened. A masked figure revealed itself. Its mask looked very much like one a scavenger would wear. 

The strange alien creature made a noise, trying to communicate with Hux. Hux patted his lower back and realized his hidden blaster was gone. His face flushed in anger and he reached down and offered Ares his arm. The toddler held him firmly.

“Chin up, Ares,” Hux instructed as they headed out the door unwillingly. 

They weren’t alone on the ship. There seemed to be other kidnapped beings. Hux could tell they didn’t want to be there by the way they wailed and shiver (by the way a mother togruta held tightly onto her baby). 

And when they exited the ship, they were met with a dusty savanna. 

///

Hux held Galatea tightly against his side, her little legs trying to grip onto the fringes of his shirt. She laid her head into his neck and let her little hands cling onto him tightly. 

She didn’t exactly understand what was going on, but she was afraid. Very rarely did she feel afraid, especially in her papa’s arms. She now wanted to be held by Kylo, though she wasn’t sure where her other father was. 

In Hux’s free hand, Ares had a tight grip on his wrist. He kept close to his father but like the fearsome son of Ren he was, he didn’t look away from his captors. He was mimicking Hux’s glare or at least trying to. 

Trying to be observant, Ares looked around the area. His eyes were immediately drawn to the night sky where he tried to locate distant planets or even starships. He hoped one that one of the stars was actually his home and that he’d go back to it soon. Ares much preferred a planet to a spaceship. Ares looked back to his father whose face was lightened up by the moonlight and spotlights that were placed around the sand. 

Not even the night could hide Hux’s disgust towards their captors. His squinted eyes showed them he wasn’t afraid of their empty taunts and jeers towards the Grand Marshal. He only needed to keep the children close and Ren would come for them. No doubt Ren could sense his children and Hux across the galaxy. At the very least, the tracker in Hux’s shoe would give a clear signal to one of their ships. 

The sand gusted up against Ares’s face, causing the small boy to give a small cough. Ares decided he didn’t like sand. He much rather like to be up in Hux’s arms, like Galatea always was allowed to be, where he could hide in his neck too. 

Behind the family was a large dark building that appeared heavily fortified. They seemed to be in a barley inhabited area on whatever hell sand planet they were taken to. 

There were some aliens scattered about, talking to each other or hauling large boxes and devices from their ships. It was the dead of night so Hux figured that it wasn’t as busy as it usually was, whatever exactly the operation was. 

For now, Hux knew that they were these raiders’ cargo. Other aliens around him didn’t appear to be there willingly. Their fearful stature gave away their prisoner status. 

An alien with a small mic in his hand spoke in broken basic, announcing to the group to head inside the building. Raiders began to speak and prod at any prisoner they deemed were moving too slowly. The raiders were shouting at everyone in various languages, but it was understood they wanted the group to move faster. 

“Don’t say anything and keep your heads down. Your Dad will come soon for us,” Hux instructed the children in a low voice. Ares stared up to him with his light eyes which were partially covered by his golden-brown curls. He needed a haircut, his hair was becoming wild like Ren’s. Ares seemed surprised that his dad’s order wasn’t to kill anyone who looked at them wrong.

“Okay papa,” Ares said in a quiet voice. Galatea made a small whining noise, stressed out but unsure about what to do with her feelings. 

“Hush love, I’m here,” Hux tried to reassure her. Galatea didn’t say anything back to him, hiding her eyes. 

Hux began to follow the crowd, hoping that by being in the mass of aliens that they’d forget to single him out. Of course, a red-haired human with his white-haired daughter in his arms made him stand out exponentially. 

“You! Stop there!” A voice hissed. Hux knew they were yelling for him. Hux swallowed and tried to continue further, pretending not to recognize that the voice was calling for him. He didn’t make it very far. 

An alien grabbed him by the arm, trying to pull him back. Hux quickly pulled away from the alien, spinning around and forcing Ares to hide behind his legs. Ares complied quickly, too frightened to look up at the large alien who grabbed his dad. 

Still enraged, Hux had the nerve to bare his teeth and glared at the alien that exceeded his height. It was an awkward, lanky looking thing, covered in rags and it’s face covered by large goggles and cloth. Hux couldn’t tell what kind of alien it was, but by its stature, he knew it wasn’t human. 

“Don’t touch me!” Hux shouted. Some of the moving crowd glanced at him but quickly looked away, fearing that merely being caught staring would get them in trouble. 

The alien made a clicking noise, some sort of threat Hux figured. Hux kept two hands protectively around Galatea. He knew Ares was more capable at his age than she was, trusting he’d hang onto Hux. 

“Disgusting fleshy human!” The alien hissed out, the ‘s’ sounds it made was exaggerated as it rolled off the alien's tongue. The alien revealed a long stick with dual prods at the end. There was a blue lighting flickering between them. It was a taser no doubt. Ares let out a little gasp, gripping Hux’s leg. 

“Enyo! Keep your claws off the merchandise!” Another voice warned. The alien mumbled to itself and retracted the spear, taking a step back. Hux almost sighed in relief but knew he was in no place to relax. 

Hux looked away from the covered alien to the human figure walking towards him. The man’s strides were confident and almost boastful in a sense. He seemed middle-aged and had old scars across his face like he was once prodded with the taser spear. It seemed that this man had turned whatever pain brought onto him into a business though. 

The man, like the other raider aliens, was dressed modestly in dark colors. He had a pin on his chest of a blue heart-shaped turned upside down. The blue heart had a line going down it, the line exceeding the split of the heart. At the end of the line was a small black diamond shape. Hux was familiar with many different space gangs that plagued the galaxy, and he had worked with some but he wasn’t entirely familiar with this group. 

He knew the name though, and it was simple to figure out anyway due to the boastful placements of their logos. _Blue Hearts_ was their group name. And they partook in the usual inhuman affairs. It was a ridiculous name for a bunch of slavers and pirates. 

The man stopped in front of Hux. He may have been the same height as Hux, but his old scars and wider body made him appear stronger. The loathsome man smirked. Hux’s lips tightened in displeasure.

“The fearsome Grand Marshal Hux, now isn’t this lucky?” The man eyed Galatea then Ares. Ares looked away quickly, upset that the man caught him looking. “And his two bastards. If the rumors are true, then these two children are probably the most gifted things in the galaxy.”

“If you know any rumors about me it’s that you won’t last a full day after irritating me. Or my fucking kids,” Hux fumed. He usually wouldn’t swear around his children, but he made an exception so he could chew out the prick standing in front of him.

The man chuckled. “My, so full of fire! That’s why they call you Starkiller, isn’t it? You may be able to destroy suns, but you also have the fire of one! I wonder what will kill the Starkiller?”

“You’ll never live to find out, unfortunately,” Hux bit back. Silently, he begged Ren to hurry up and take them all the safety. 

“Perhaps I should introduce myself. You may call me Vikrum. I’m the leader in my division of the Blue Hearts,” the man explained, flashing his pin at Hux. Hux rolled his eyes and that seemed to irritate him. “Not too familiar with us? A leader should know about all their threats you know!”

“Then I guess I didn’t see you as a threat.” 

Vikrum was quiet for a moment, merely staring Hux down. Hux stayed unmoving, his eyes full of hatred for the man. How dare he put his children through this.

_How dare he… how…_

“Bigmouth for a man stuck in such a position,” Vikrum countered, his smirk slowly coming back. The man smirked so much Hux would have thought he was Himero or that damn pilot Dameron. 

But no, this grin was different. When Himero smirked, it was because he knew he was hot shit and that he was all too happy with the fact. Hux had never seen Dameron smirk, but he could practically feel the flyboy smugness rolling off that stupid pilot. But Vikrum, his smile was different. It was a smirk that said he knew how to kill and that he knew he was free to do so whenever he wanted. 

Vikrum looked to Galatea and Hux immediately tried turning his shoulder to better hide Galatea from his gaze. He felt Galatea tremble, threatening to whine, so Hux patted her back. He didn’t want her to cry; she’d attract even more attention.

“Such a large smirk for a man with so many scars,” Hux tried to divert the attention by making Vikrum irritated with him again. But Vikrum wasn’t having it. 

“Such a strange coloration on a human baby, I’ve never seen white hair on someone so young in a natural way. Does she have defects?” Vikrum asked. Hux didn’t answer, but because he also didn’t know the right way to answer. If he said yes, would Vikrum find her to be a waste and kill her? If he said no, would he take her away? 

“Silent again? Perhaps strange traits just run in the family. I mean your hair is extraordinary! Not many redheads are left in the galaxy. Yet you’ve managed to pass down some light hair to your son,” Vikrum said, now looking at Ares. Now Ares was choosing to stare at the man. Hux was trying to hide his emotions, but even his young son could sense how afraid their dad was becoming. Ares wanted to put on a brave face, just like his daddy. 

“I’m starting to think that your new Supreme Leader isn’t fathering any of these damn kids. I don’t understand how you two would even have kids but the galaxy is full of wonders.” Vikrum paused. Hux felt sweat trickle down his neck, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the heat or not. “And then there is the powerful Force.”

Hux tensed up, becoming as stiff as wood. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. The raiders were after force users; they were after his babies. 

_Hide your powers my loves_ , Hux thought, but he wasn’t even sure if Ares had developed his ability to read minds freely. 

Vikrum crouched down and stared into Ares’s light eyes. Ares gripped Hux tightly and like his father he glared at Vikrum. He wasn’t very intimidating because he was a child, but it showed his determination and strength. 

The crowd had cleared out and now it was only Hux, his children, the alien, and Vikrum. Suddenly Hux felt very alone. A gust of wind blew Hux’s hair out of his face and more hand into Ares’s. Vikrum got up, smiling at Hux. Hux wanted to pull out all the man’s stupid teeth. 

“I believe I have a special order for force sensitives, but today I’ll be kind. Calmly hand over your boy, Grand Marshal, and I assure you’ll all receive the utmost care.” 

The sandy terrain became deadly silent. All the blood drained from Hux’s face and he felt a cold chill envelop his entire body. Hux blinked rapidly, trying to snap out of his trance. 

“I beg your pardon?” Hux asked, extremely baffled. The words barely found their way out of his mouth. The man had to be toying with him just to be cruel. Hux wasn’t a meal to be played with. 

“I said to hand over your _son_. I only need one force-sensitive child to make bank with a client, and two may be too much of a safety hazard. But if you prefer to pick which baby will be shipped off, I’m sure that would be fine too. So, who will I take?” 

No. Hux wouldn’t believe it. Vikrum’s cruel joke wouldn’t stand with him. There’s no way he was going to just give away one of his precious babies. There was no choice. 

Hux could feel his body begin to shake. He called Ren mentally, begged for the man to hear him. And the Grand Marshal never pleaded.

“I don’t understand.” Hux felt like a robot. He couldn’t articulate the right feelings, he couldn’t snap back properly, he could only think about the children clinging to him. 

Vikrum pressed his lips together, getting visibly annoyed with Hux. “Kindly hand over a child or I’ll rip your bastard son from you, Grand Marshal. Just like you, I have a job to do.” 

“No,” Hux refused, taking a step back. His voice felt weak. “I won’t!” 

“You are trying my patience. You and the other one can be sold off together. Maybe.” 

Hux felt his eyes fill with tears. He didn’t know if his tears were caused out of sadness, or out of rage, or out of the mere mix of emotions swelling inside him. He had never felt anything like this. He never had been in a position like this. 

He looked at his babies. Their faces were confused as they weren’t old enough to understand what the bad man wanted. Hux’s vision started to become unclear but he didn’t know if it was from the tears staining his eyes or dizziness in his head from the commotion. 

“I can’t,” Hux said weakly. He’d usually feel so pathetic for sounding so helpless, but he was so overwhelmed he could no longer hold himself together. “I can’t, please. I can’t choose. I won’t, I won’t.” 

Hux began to chant, his pleads like a broken record. His mind felt like it was breaking down. He always felt a special connection to his children, though he figured most parents did. But his connection was different. He knew his force-sensitive children tried to have a Force connection with him despite his ineptitude to the Force. If one of his children were gone, it would be like tearing out a piece of his heart. 

He couldn’t let them go. He’d give everything to his children. His life, his love, his sanity, he’d give it to them. He’d break and bleed for his kids. He may have put his sweat into the First Order (as well as other’s blood) but everything else was for his kids. 

And Ares had been with him first; his son was the catalyst for Hux's spiritual rebirth and his relationship with Kylo Ren. 

The Order was supposed to succeed so that the next generation could succeed with ease. He was supposed to succeed so his children didn’t have to go down a path like his. They had a chance to have a good life, and Hux wouldn’t deprive them of a second of happiness. He’d give them everything he never had. 

If Hux had lost everything, his ships, his rule, even Ren, he’d still find peace if he had his children. They were his hope. 

They had a chance. 

“Fine. Be stubborn, you can’t say I didn’t give you an option,” Vikrum said darkly. He put his fingers in his mouth and made a loud whistling noise, alerting other guards to come over. “Grab the boy.” 

Hux gasped, shrinking back. Hux knew he was skinny, but he never felt so small in his life. He felt like a mother bird trying to ward off a gang bigger predators from picking off his babies. But his wings could only protect so much and his beak was only so strong. 

His eyes shot around, trying to find some means of escape. Ares followed his dad’s actions, looking from side to side. He didn’t exactly understand what was happening, but he knew it wasn’t any good. 

Hux leaned down and grabbed Ares so he was holding a child in each arm. Hux tried to make a run for it; he knew it was stupid but he wouldn’t have anyone take any of his children. 

Even with his determination to protect his babies, Hux didn’t make it far. The alien with the spear managed to jab him in the back, sending electric currents up his spine. Hux let out a pained scream but didn’t let go of his kids. Galatea began crying, her head full of confusion and the sound of her father’s pain making her frightened. 

Hux fell over, dropping to his knees but careful not to hurt his children in any way. He heard footsteps walking towards him. The steps dragged towards him like a snake swimming through waves of sand, coming to strike its prey. 

Without thinking, he let go of Ares and removed a dagger hidden in his sock. Ares smartly kept clinging to Hux, unwilling to be anywhere but connected to his papa. 

Whoever had come closest to Hux ended up getting a dagger to the ankle. It happened to be an alien with a taser. It made a hissing noise and stumbled backward, more enraged than anything. Hux tried to grab the dagger again but the alien fell forward in such a way that he couldn’t retrieve it. 

“How rude Grand Marshal!” Vikrum laughed. Two more guards came upon Hux. One of them tried to pull Ares off him and Ares let out a shrill scream, gripping Hux so tightly his little nails dug into Hux’s skin. 

Hux managed to punch the guard in the neck, but fighting back was difficult with two children holding onto him for dear life. He felt another spear go into his back, shocking him and making Hux let out a pained gasp again. His legs felt like jelly and he dropped down.

Ares was ripped from his arms. The force of it caused Hux to fall over, displacing the sand under him. 

Ares began to sob, wanting to go back into Hux’s embrace. Hux’s headshot up the second the shocks stopped and Hux watched as Ares was carried away. Ares cried and cried for Hux, squirming, and reaching out to him. 

“Papa! Papa!” Ares sobbed, his face a bright red. He kicked his legs and the alien tried to keep him in his grip. “Let go!”

“Ares!” Hux cried out, his voice echoing across the savanna. He tried to get up but felt the spear once again go into his back, shocking him. 

His only son was fading away from him. He never felt pain like this, he didn’t know that a man could ever feel this pain. The hurt from having a child ripped from his arms flooded through his veins. If he had the Force, he’d blow every one of these damn pricks to pieces. He’d remove their bones like he was taking apart a house brick by brick. He’d do anything to get rid of the pain, anything at all. 

Hux bent over Galatea, hiding her under his chest and making sure she wouldn’t be touched by the spear. Hux’s body shook as he was electrocuted. Galatea was still crying, her screams becoming a deafening echo in his ears. 

Hux felt the tears pouring from his eyes. How would he tell his little girl that her brother was ripped from his arms? He was supposed to be strong for them, he only ever wanted to protect them. And he was failing. The Grand Marshal of the galaxy was failing.

All the electricity that tortured him caused Hux’s body to give up. He couldn’t even feel like he could get up. Galatea’s cries were becoming muffled and Ares’s voice was becoming very distant. He looked up, his vision blurring. He could make out Ares being carried towards the building where all the other prisoners went to. 

_Ares? Galatea?_ Hux’s mind cried. 

The jabs kept coming and coming. His back felt like it was being cooked. He swore he could smell his flesh, but he couldn’t even tell if the taser had made its way through his shirt. 

_Ren. Please. I’m so foolish._

Hux’s body was failing him. His eyes were failing, his arms were failing at clutching Galatea…

 _I’m failing, I'm failing,_ Hux’s mind chanted. He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t do that to the children. Not to the children, never the children. 

Yet there he was, fading into the blackness as his daughter sobbed in his arms. And like a light that was shattered by a strong hand, Hux was out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things never go Hux's way, huh? Next chapters r gonna be super spicy OOO. I also have been blogging about books idk if anyone would be interested but that exists. 
> 
> leave a comment! 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)


	5. Be Right Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope everyone is doing well! here are more (sad) shenanigans. I hope the kylux fandom still goes strong! this chapter is a tiny bit shorter but i don't wanna make my chapters too long... there's a lot up next!
> 
> this chapter is named after the black mirror episode domhnall gleeson is in lol
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos! it means a lot
> 
> cw: implied trafficking

The cosmoses called him again. They were red this time, the hue unsettlingly to Hux but warm. He never understood these dreams and figured he should probably discuss them with Ren, but there was never any substance to them. At least, there wasn’t anything he could remember when he woke up. He never knew why he had dreams like this where blue and red lights of stardust would envelop him and ask for his attention. 

He tucked his head between his legs in his dream, ashamed of himself. 

“I failed. I failed,” he said to himself. His voice sounded distant in his ears. 

He couldn’t believe that he could be so moronic. He was a damn technical genius and a Grand Marshal, yet he couldn’t even fucking avoid the capture of some space pirates. And now his children were in danger. He was utterly useless. 

Ares was gone. Maybe not forever, Hux hoped, but in the absence of his son Hux already felt something empty in his heart. If Ares was hurt, it would be his fault. If Ren came storming in, which Hux hoped he would soon, Ren would know how weak of a parent Hux was that he couldn’t keep their children by his side. 

Hux sniffled but no tears left his eyes. Something warm touched his face. He looked up, but nothing was there but a red and black glittery cloud. It had a strange shape to it, one Hux couldn’t make out. 

_Wake up._

Hux’s eyes slowly opened up. His vision was blurry, all he could make out was the greyness of wherever he was. 

Something small was smacking Hux on the face. 

“Papa. Mum! Up!” The little, childish voice said. Hux recognized Galatea’s voice and tried to force himself to wake up quicker. 

Slow but determined, Hux began to sit up. He had been sleeping on the floor on his face. He groaned as he moved to sit on his ass. He rubbed his face then gave himself a quick slap on the cheeks, alerting himself to wake up faster. After a few more blinks, Hux’s vision returned. 

Galatea was sitting in front of him. Her face was slightly dirty and her white curls disorganized on her head. Her dark eyes stared at her father curiously. 

Even in the worst place they could be in, Galatea purposely chose to antagonize him with her calling him her mother. He wasn’t sure if she did it because she didn’t understand the connotation, or because she knew somehow that being petty would make Hux wake up faster. Either way, Hux was grateful she encouraged him to get up. 

He was glad she was still with him, but Ares was still out of sight. It pained Hux greatly but he knew he had to try to keep his composure so that Galatea wouldn’t stress too much and so that they could wait out their situation until Ren came. 

“Are you all right Galatea?” Hux asked her, putting his arms out for her. She shook her head and toddled over to him, hugging him tightly. 

“‘M scared,” she said, her words somewhat difficult to understand. Hux pet her hair then kissed her on the forehead. 

“I know, love, but we have to be strong. Don’t let them scare you. I’m here for you,” Hux tried to reassure. 

“Is Daddy coming?” She asked. Hux sighed sadly. 

“Soon Galatea. Just be tough. Like a Knight okay?” She looked up and nodded at him. He whispered, “If any of the bad men come to hurt or grab you, use your force powers on them, all right?” 

“Like Daddy?” Galatea asked, showing Hux her hands like he could see where the Force ‘came from.’ She rarely used the Force purposefully, but Ren had always bragged how he could feel how strong she was. 

When Ares was younger, he hardly used the Force. He still didn’t use the Force much, even at age four. Galatea seemed more capable. Ren sensed the Force in both of them, but Galatea held it more actively. He had seen her move her toys around when she played and even try to steal snacks off the counters where she couldn’t reach. That was much different from using the Force to protect herself though. 

“Yes, like Daddy. But don’t talk to them, they will try to hurt your feelings and hurt Daddy too if they find where he is.” Galatea seemed to understand. 

“I strong!” She insisted, puffing out her red cheeks. Hux gave a little smile. It didn’t seem appropriate to correct her right now.

“I know dearest.” Hux wanted her to be tough. He wasn’t feeling very strong at the moment and didn’t need her to replicate his weakness. 

Ares was gone from his sight and it was tearing his heart apart. The only thing keeping him together was Galatea’s determined toddling. He had never been without Ares. He was always in sight of Ares, always a holocall away if he couldn’t be there physically. The boy needed a parent, especially when Ren hadn’t been there for them. 

Galatea was lucky in that aspect, she never felt lonely and she seemed quite content with the idea of loneliness. Ares was never an easy baby though. Ares was needy and emotional, not that Hux blamed him. Ares feared to be alone because Hux was the sun he revolved around. 

Galatea let out a little whine and touched his face. Hux hadn’t noticed his eyes were filled with tears as he thought about his son.

“No crying, no crying,” Galatea said. He let out a deep breath and tried to calm down. 

Hux observed the room, trying to make himself useful. There was a toilet of some sort in the corner of the room and a slab of a dirty, hard-looking mattress on the floor. 

Hux stood up slowly, his head throbbing with pain still. Galatea plopped down on the floor and stared at the wall. Hux followed her eyes. He realized his ankle was chained to the wall. The chain seemed long enough to walk around the room but obviously wouldn’t let him go beyond the metal door. Galatea made grabbing motions towards the chains. 

“What?” Hux asked her. She shook her head. 

“Magic,” she tried to explain. She kept flexing her little fingers. Hux wasn’t going to stop her from trying. She babbled a few more times, though Hux was having a hard time understanding what she was saying, so he hummed in acknowledgment. 

He gave the chain on his ankle a good tug. Galatea frowned and whined. He looked to her, seeing that she wanted to use her ‘magic’ to free him. Hux wasn’t going to entertain her desire to use the Force if they could leave quicker. He needed to find Ares. They wanted to sell him off and that’s all Hux knew but that’s all he needed to know to feel panicked. 

The door was locked, which was given, and seemed somewhat thick. There was a small pocket of space between the floor and the door that let Hux see there was some sort of artificial light coming from the other side. 

The bars on the door had a black cover against them on the other side. Hux didn’t know if this was good luck, but the cell they were stuck in did have a window. It had bars and glass was so foggy that he couldn’t see out of it. The light still came in. Something was piled up against the window, restricting how much light entered the room. Hux figured it was sand. A lightbulb in its cage hung from the ceiling. 

There was no indication of an easy escape in their cage. The window could fit Galatea but of course, there were bars. Even if he did manage to break the window, lots of sand would just flood in. Escape seemed improbable in the cell. 

The only thing he had going for him was the little space underneath the door which would let him hear the commotion on the outside or see the shadows of people passing. Galatea wasn’t chained but he doubted that a toddler had enough skills to help her father escape from prison. 

Hux patted himself down and found that he had no weapons left on him. He still had his boots on at least. If Ren was smart, he’d log into Hux’s tracker but he knew Ren was probably lost in a storm of emotions. The Force was probably the quickest bet for finding them. He hoped his tracker was sending out a signal, no matter if Ren would utilize it promptly or not. 

Suddenly, without warning, Hux could hear the rattling of someone trying to open the door. Hux grabbed Galatea and sat down in the corner. He forced Galatea into his chest protectively. She made an upset noise and Hux hushed her and glared at the door. 

The door opened with a threatening creak. Vikrum stood there smugly, his arms crossed. Vikrum was with a masked alien of some sort. The alien put a ring of keys on its belt. Hux looked to the ring of keys then glanced at Galatea. It was a stretch, but perhaps he could devise a plan. 

“Good morning, Starkiller,” Vikrum said. Hux ground his teeth together. 

“Where’s Ares?” Hux demanded. Vikrum chuckled and pushed the hair out of his eyes. He had a golden tooth in his mouth that glimmered cheaply. Hux very much wanted to punch it. 

“Your son? You aren’t in a position to ask questions but because I’m kind I will tell you that he’s alive and hasn’t been carted off yet. He is a feisty baby. Is that one feisty too?” Vikrum pointed to Galatea. She didn’t look at him and nuzzled her head into Hux’s chest. Her white curls hid her face well. Hux put his hands over Galatea’s ears. 

“Where are you sending him off to you perverted arsehole?” Hux spat. He could feel the heat rising in his chest. Vikrum raised his hands against his chest, acting innocent. 

“Woah, easy there Starkiller it isn’t like that. Someone in the galaxy just happens to think that raising a force-sensitive baby of their own will make them powerful.”

“Seems idiotic though, doesn’t it?” Hux replied. He couldn’t see why anyone would want to even take Ares. It is a stupid investment. Ren would find him. The Force would lead him to his son, just as it was doing now.

“I don’t ask too many questions, but I assure you this is just some power-hungry client with a loose grip on morality. Or strong? I don’t know, maybe they think they are saving this kid,” Vikrum contemplated, rubbing his chin. It seemed like an odd trade-off that this person would want only one child. Hux didn’t want any of his children taken, but the intentions were unclear in his eyes. “What I’m more interested in is you, dear Starkiller.” 

“Wonderful,” Hux said bitterly, narrowing his eyes. 

Galatea gave a soft whimper and looked up to Hux with pleading eyes. Her stomach growled. Hux suddenly felt his stomach twist hungrily as well. Hux rubbed her back, trying to be comforting but his focus was mainly on Vikrum. 

“You know, many people in this galaxy want your head on a stick. I’m also assuming your Supreme Leader will want you back. You are a true bargaining chip. What to do, what to do.” Vikrum continued to rub his chin and look about as if he could find his answer on the walls. Hux kept his head held up, not giving in to intimidation. 

“My daughter is hungry,” Hux told Vikrum. He wasn’t above asking for what he needed for his daughter. Vikrum didn’t seem like a rational man, but Hux gathered that he liked feeling better than he was. Vikrum hummed. He snapped his fingers and the alien near him flinched. 

“Go get them something to eat. Something soft for the little one.” He didn’t even look at the alien when he spoke to it. The alien lumbered off, leaving Hux alone with Vikrum. “You are truly lucky we are trying to give these kids away in top condition. You, on the other hand, you won’t be so lucky.” 

“I could say the same for you,” Hux commented, almost smugly. Vikrum scrunched his nose. 

They were silent for a moment. The daggers they glared at each other were sharp and ready to penetrate the other’s eyes. Galatea shyly peaked at Vikrum, staring as well. Vikrum looked down at the strange child. 

“What strange hair you have,” he said offhandedly. Galatea didn’t make any noise. Hux wondered if she was attempting to do something to him with the Force. Nothing happened and Hux adjusted her in his arms. 

The alien returned with a tray of… something. It placed the tray on the floor near the door. There was a container of what appeared to be blue milk and a bowl with something Hux couldn’t see. It was steaming so the alien must have reheated it. He was surprised they weren’t getting some sort of pig food but Vikrum did say he wanted Galatea in the right health. Of course, it was only so he could sell her off. 

“I’ll be back eventually, don’t go anyway,” Vikrum said and began to leave. 

“Let me see my son!” Hux demanded, sitting upon his knees. Vikrum didn’t even look over his shoulder. Hux felt like the conversation was too short given the situation. Vikrum had trapped one of the most powerful people in the galaxy and seemed to have a little less than an idea of what to do with him.

“I’ll pay him a visit, don’t worry.” The door shut and the sound vibrated in Hux’s head. The heat was rising in his chest again. Hux didn’t think of himself as an aggressive person like Ren but he felt this unnatural need to rip Vikrum in various pieces. It was an irrational thought, but he knew why he was feeling it. 

The heat suddenly dropped into his chest and he felt himself swing towards depression. His face dropped its angry, scrunched up lines into soft, squishy sadness. He didn’t even understand how his emotions were swinging so violently. It almost felt unnatural how his emotions were changing so rapidly. He knew why, Gods he knew why, but he didn’t want to feel this way. He wanted to be strong. Galatea was still with him, he couldn’t let her see his weakness. It could scare her. 

He realized she was staring up at him with blank eyes. She didn’t seem to react to his swinging emotions. She didn’t seem to have any reaction at all. He sniffled, feeling pathetic. She touched his face and suddenly he felt calm. A strange warmth slowly grew inside him like it was washing away his feelings. 

Hux blinked as he felt everything inside him change. Was this the Force? Was his daughter using it on him to calm him down? He didn’t know. She wiggled out of his embrace and toddled over to the tray of food. 

“Sorry,” Galatea said softly. He didn’t know why she was sorry. 

Hux got up slowly and went towards the tray of food. The chain on his ankle dragged against the floor as he walked. He was cautious in how far the chain could go. The bowl had some sort of watery soup in it. Green vegetables and small bits of meat floating in the bowl. It was decent enough. Hux sat down near the tray. 

He tried some of the soup first to make sure it wasn’t poisoned and was at least suitable for Galatea to eat. It seemed fine. It wasn’t very flavorful but it was enough. It all had to be enough for now. 

“Come here and eat Galatea,” Hux said, offering her a spoonful. She frowned and shook her head. “Galatea it’s fine, I tasted it.” 

“Icky!” She complained like the spoiled princess she was. 

“No, not icky. You have to eat it, dearest. Please, for papa?” Hux asked of her. Her little face seemed to soften and she sat on the floor and scooted towards him. She opened her mouth wide and let Hux spoon-fed her. It was better if she got most of it. 

Galatea was a well-behaved child in comparison to her brother. Hux could only imagine the ruckus he was causing. He could picture the anger Vikrum would feel when the child would fling anything he could at him with the Force. 

He swallowed dryly, his mind tormenting him with thoughts of them hurting his son, threatening him, shipping him off like he was some sort of object. 

_Hypocrite_. Hux snorted to himself.

Galatea made grabbing motions towards the spoon, wanting more. She realized her hunger. Hux kept feeding her. When she had enough of the soup he sipped the blue milk which he, again, found to be untainted. She sipped it generously. It left a little blue milk mustache on her upper lip. She licked it away than handed the glass back to her papa. 

Hux finished off the rest. He was happy to wait for Galatea to eat as much as she could, even if it meant feeling more hungry than usual. Hux was used to not eating regularly though. With his intense schedule in the First Order, sometimes he forgot to eat or ate small portions sporadically throughout the day. He hoped his eating habits would help him stave off uncomfortable feelings of hunger in Galatea. But he wasn’t going to stay long as long as Ren came on time.

Galatea crawled into his lap and curled up against him. She looked at the spot in the wall where Hux’s chain was linked too. He petted her hair, silently hoping he was comforting her. 

The children always loved Ren’s big chest. Ren was their wall, their safety net, with a large thumping heart inside him that spoke a special language to Galatea and Ares. The sounds in Ren’s chest always told them that they were safe. Hux’s chest was small; he didn’t feel like the large, protective barrier that Ren was. 

But he was their parent. He was there before Ren, for both of the kids, and he knew where he lacked in his chest he made up for in his determination. He’d hold her until Ren came or until his heart stopped pumping. Whatever would come first. 

Galatea fell asleep against him. Hux felt like he slept an eternity after being knocked out. He stayed up and stared at the minimal amount of light in the barred window. He thought of Ares, hoping his son could hear him. 

///

Hux was only able to count the days because of the changing of the light in the window. Frankly, he was infuriated at Ren for making them wait so long. His damn children were going to be carted off and Ren still hadn’t arrived. It had at least been a standard three days and they’d heard nothing. 

Hux was getting increasingly antsy and distraught. He was irritable when anyone came to give them food and demanded to see Ares but always go no response. Vikrum hadn’t come to visit them since the first day. Hux was starting to feel the effects of hunger but he wasn’t starving. They were fed two meals a day but the meals came at strange times. 

Galatea behaved. The only thing she complained about was wanting to see Ren or about being bored. Hux tried to encourage her to practice her force powers to entertain herself. He knew it would be dangerous to let a toddler practice her powers unaided but it’s all he could think of to prevent Galatea from freaking out too much. 

Granted, she was exceptionally calm. Calmer than Hux expected. Perhaps she sensed his growing stress and balanced it out with her childish calm. It was unnerving watching a child staring at a wall without any sort of apparent emotion, but Hux was no expert on the Force. 

It wasn’t until the third day that Vikrum made an appearance again. Hux was trying to get the knots out of Galatea’s hair when Vikrum suddenly made an appearance at the door. Hux stood up quickly, standing in front of Galatea. She let out a little gasp and grabbed at Hux’s pants. 

“Hello, Starkiller. We are moving you,” Vikrum said, his tone half threatening. Hux glared at him and scooped Galatea up, holding her close. He wanted to make his stance clear to Vikrum. The man chuckled, “Don’t worry, you can bring her with you. The day is more about you though.” 

“And my son?” Hux asked through his teeth. Vikrum looked around the room passively. 

“Maybe he’s here, maybe he’s not,” Vikrum shrugged. Hux got the feeling that Ares was still somewhere in the building. 

Before Hux could get another word in, three masked men entered the room. Vikrum stepped close to Hux and stared into his eyes. He stood tall and Hux did his best to look taller. 

“Try anything funny and I’d be happy to rip your little brat from your arms,” Vikrum threatened with a grin. Hux wrinkled his nose but didn’t protest.

He heard a click and his chain was released from the wall. It was still attached to his ankle. Hux was starting to notice how uncomfortable the band around his ankle was. One of the men held the chain and another held the door open. 

“Follow me Starkiller. Might wanna watch your step. My comrade won’t hesitate and pull you onto the floor if you irritate him. Even if you are carrying a toddler,” Vikrum warned smugly. Hux huffed but again said nothing.

He slowly began to follow Virkum out of the cell. As much as Hux wanted to make a break for it, he knew it would be useless. As Vikrum led him, an alien followed behind Hux and two at his sides. The hall he was led down was littered with cell doors. Sometimes he heard creatures groan in pain and hunger, while in others he could hear the distinct bargaining for escape. He was lucky that none of the little cell door windows were open otherwise the halls would be filled with a lot of threats to him and his daughter. 

Hux was led down several hallways but noted that he didn’t take any staircases. He hadn’t seen any way of heading upwards or downwards. It suggested that either all the prisoners were kept on one level or that the entire building was on one level. 

They were led to a large set of steel double doors. Vikrum entered a code into a keypad and the doors opened. Hux was shoved forward. He stumbled but was careful not to fall. The next hallway he entered was somehow bleaker than the one filled with prisoners. This hall was short and quiet. The walls were darker and the lights were less intense. 

Vikrum walked to a door and entered another room. Hux followed in slowly. Only the men holding his chain followed after. The other two stood outside the door to guard it. The door shut and suddenly Hux felt a chill go down his spine. There was a metal table in the middle of the room with a cuffing device built into it. There was a camera in front of the table. 

Vikrum took Hux’s chain and wrapped it onto the leg of the table. The table was bolted into the ground. Hux knew what this was. He thought it would've been easier to leave Galatea in the cell than have her sit through what would happen. 

“Hand the child to me and sit,” Vikrum instructed. Hux felt an animalistic need to bite and hiss at Vikrum from even telling him to do so. Instead, Hux turned his nose up at the man. Vikrum let out a sigh, “I’m only trying to be kind. This has nothing to do with the girl unless you force my hand. I promise, nothing will happen to her.” 

It was an empty promise but Hux didn’t have a choice. He looked into Galatea’s worried eyes. 

“Be brave little knight,” he whispered to her and kissed her on the head. Slowly, he moved Galatea from his chest and handed her out to Vikrum. He was shaking, tremoring. Galatea let out a confused whine and reached to him. He tried reassuring her, “It’s ok it’s ok.” 

Vikrum took Galatea and she squirmed in his arms but didn’t make a scene. He handed her off to the masked man who held her with indifference. She squirmed again but didn’t fight. 

“Mum,” she said softly. Vikrum snorted then covered his mouth, making it seem like he didn’t want to laugh. Hux reluctantly sat down on the metal chair. 

“Sorry Starkiller, I don’t mean to laugh it’s just that your daughter has a sense of humor,” he rambled. He patted the metal cuffs that were attached to a short pole on the table. “Hands in here.” 

Hux didn’t move for a moment. He eventually slid his wrist in. Vikrum tightened the cuffs around Hux, making him grimace. Hux gave his hands a curious tug and found that there was no escape. He already knew this was going to be a game. His hands were a good distance from his body, forcing Hux to lean over slightly. The stupid camera lens was staring right at him. There was a small screen beside it. This had to be a negotiation, or perhaps Vikrum wanted to make a statement. He didn’t seem to have a personal vendetta against Hux, he just seemed interested in the price tag that hung above his head. 

Vikrum touched Hux on the shoulder, causing him to jolt. “Now General, I’ve found what to do with you. All you have to do is sit pretty.” 

The despicable man went to the camera and turned it on and fiddled with some sort of keypad attached to it. Vikrum went back and stood next to Hux, waiting with a disturbing smirk. 

“Now we wait,” he eyed him carefully, and then his eyes widened like he had a realization. “Oh wait! Sorry, almost forgot.” 

Vikrum disappeared from Hux’s sightline for a moment. Suddenly, a black bag over his head. It was a cloth texture so Hux knew they weren't trying to choke him, but Hux let out a frustrated groan anyhow. 

He cursed Ren out in his head. He didn't know why he was putting his life (and the lives of his children) in the hands of someone so incompetent in so many ways. But perhaps that was just the anger and the fear talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren really is living up to expectations: a terrible supreme leader. it wouldn't be kylux without struggle though, would it? I have also been thinking about writing another kylux fanfic but you know, actions speak louder than words so we'll see.
> 
> leave a comment! and wear a mask :D
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	6. Watch and Learn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wild noises. hi, hello, here is another chapter filled with too much plot and angst because that's what I live for! While I have been reading and writing on and off, I have sort of been in a slump. My poor pet is sick and it is stressing me out but hopefully, she'll get better.
> 
> tags change so... spoilers for those tags kinda? I mean it's not a huge deal but still. eheh
> 
> cw: torture

“Supreme Leader sir,” Captain Mitaka approached timidly. He didn’t know how he was always the one to deal with Kylo Ren and his knights. Bad luck seemed to follow him like a shadow. Or maybe he should tell everyone that ‘nose goes’ isn’t a proper way to choose who has to give their leader bad news. 

Ren looked over his shoulder, his eyes dark with hatred. His knight— Arla, if Mitaka recalled correctly— turned to face Mitaka with her eyeless mask. He swallowed hard. He didn't like being alone with Ren already, but being alone with Ren and a knight seemed like a worse situation. 

It was understood that the Supreme Leader was frustrated that he couldn’t find his family, but the Supreme Leader was near impossible to work with without Hux present. It felt almost like a bad joke. 

Ren had been bent over a table with a hologram of the known parts of the galaxy. He had been scrolling through it, marking off the spots he knew where Hux and his children certainly weren’t and circling places that were known for slave trade activities. He was beyond frustrated that he couldn’t find them accurately with the Force; he could only receive bits and pieces of where they probably weren’t. None of the other knights couldn’t pinpoint their location, not without a direct connection. They were hoping one of the children would know how to reach out to them but, of course, the untrained children were more than helpless. 

“What?” Ren snarled at the captain. He could see Mitaka try to withdraw inside his skin.

“There’s something you should see. We have a call. We believe it’s from the captors,” Mitaka informed. Ren instantly shot up. Arla tilted her head. 

“Then there’s no time to waste!” Ren yelled irritably. Arla places her gloves hand on his arm, telling him to relax for a moment. 

“Lead us quickly,” Arla instructed calmly. Mitaka nodded and hurried to lead them to the bridge where the call was received. He didn’t know anything about the knight, but he was grateful for her seemingly calming nature that held the Supreme Leader back. Perhaps the Knights of Ren were the Order's last hope in keeping Kylo Ren contained from his beastly instincts. 

The bridge was bustling as everyone tried to use the call to locate where the General was taken. The presence of Ren caused everyone to stop for a moment then resume their hurried searching, hoping the way they moved would seem busy enough that Ren wouldn’t pick them out to torture them. Ren stood on the bridge in front of a window where the call would be displayed. Arla stood out of frame but kept a close watch. Everyone else also tried to keep quiet and avoid being in the frame of the holoscreen. Ren looked to his right where a woman sat, ready to answer. 

“Put it through,” Ren demanded, waving his hand. 

“Yes sir, Supreme Leader,” she said before placing her earpiece back in. She pressed a green button and the holoscreen lit up. 

Ren, despite being filled with fury most of the time, had never felt so infuriated than he did when he was met with a black bag over Hux’s head. Ren knew it was Hux merely by the shape of the man's shoulders and the paleness of his exposed skin. Ren clenched his jaw but tried to remain stoic. It was difficult though when he could also see how Hux was bound to the table. Ren couldn’t make anything else in the room rather than a dark grey stone wall. The Force filled the room like a dense fog. Its energy steamed from Ren’s own. 

“Nice to make your acquaintance Supreme Leader Ren,” a man off-screen said. He entered in front of the camera, standing behind Hux. Hux flinched when he heard the man talk. The man had an ugly scarred face, more ripped up than his and in all the wrong places. 

“I see you have my Grand Marshal,” Ren said as calmly as possible. The man chuckled, the sound hollow with no real humor behind it. 

“I have, haven’t I? I’m sure you want to say hi to your husband… or consort or whatever he is,” the man teased. Ren glanced to the side quickly, making sure nobody would react. Everyone kept their heads low and continued working on tracking Hux. 

Hux had a tracker in his boot but it must have been crushed or the signal was tampered with because Mitaka wasn’t able to access it. That had caused a poor stormtrooper to be flung like a balled-up piece of paper into a trash bin. Ren was curious as to why this man had the biggest pair of balls in the world, as he contacted the most powerful man in the galaxy with a cocky-like stature. He’d rip that man’s balls clean off. 

_Keep a level head, Master,_ Kylo heard in his head. Arla was staring at him intensely, trying to direct his thoughts towards keeping the broadcast on as long as possible. She was correctly trying to assist him, but he wanted to snap at her. 

He focused all the energy he had into keeping still and channeling the Force outwards into the depths of space for the glowing light forces that would be his children and Hux.

The man ripped the bag off Hux’s head. Hux’s eyes squinted and blank a few times, readjusting to the light. His face seemed untouched but Hux's face contorted stressfully. Hux looked to the side and Vikrum forced his head to look forward. 

The man dared to _touch_ his Grand Marshal. 

“Ren—” Hux tried to say but was met with his head getting slammed into the table with a loud bang. Ren flinched and clenched his fist. Hux let out a pained groan before sitting back up again, trying to appear all right. 

Someone whined. Ren held his breath. It was Galatea, no doubt. He knew his daughter’s angelic little voice anywhere. 

_This man had the nerve to brutalize Hux in front of our children?_ Ren thought. 

He tried to be calm, he really did. This calmness he was failing to project was entirely crumbling. The longer this video chat continued, the more he’d lose it. He had to stay connected though. He had to find them. He held his tongue, knowing Hux would be displeased with any emotional reaction. He could hear Hux’s nagging from afar, warning Ren about his attitude. 

“Hush now Starkiller. Or Grand Marshal I should say, most honest appy-appy-apologizes! Only took you two kids to get there, I’ll give you that,” the man said. Hux snarled. A dark red mark stained his head from hitting the metal table. 

“What do you want?” Ren asked in an even tone. 

“Well, I have a few demands but I am guessing that you’ll do anything to get your precious family back,” Vikrum said, eyeing the side of the room. Ren assumed that’s where his children were watching. 

“Ren don’t—” again Hux was interrupted with a violent push of his head into the metal table. He bounced back, dizzy. Ren heard someone gasp then cover their mouth nearby. Ren widened his stance and kept his hands by his side, clenching his hands so tightly he imagined he break the seams of his gloves. 

The crew was worried about their Grand Marshal. It was a good thing to have their sympathy. But right now he didn’t want them to cry for him, he wanted them to work in finding Hux. He looked into Hux’s eyes but was unsure if Hux was seeing him too. Ren let his body let out a single twitch, a sign of the madness about to overcome him. 

_Hux for the love of the Force just shut your mouth for once._

“What are your demands?” Ren asked. Hux managed to glare at him despite his new concussion. 

“I want a starship,” the man said confidently. Ren snorted and the man suddenly frowned. “You think I’m joking?”

“You want us to transport you a giant starship across the galaxy, undetected?” This man was an ambitious idiot. 

“Well it would be useful, wouldn’t it? A floating weapon in space. I also want credits. And a lot of them,” the man explained, shrugging his shoulders casually. Hux rolled his eyes defiantly. 

“What’s stopping me from blowing you out of the plane of existence?” Ren asked. The man hummed, tapping his finger to his lips in thought. 

“I mean, your children and Starkiller. In fact, we have one interesting little munchkin right here,” the man said. 

Another man stepped into the frame but this time he was masked and covered from head to toe. In his arms was Galatea, her white curls wildly wrapped around her and her brown eyes staring into the side where the monitor must have been in the room. She looked dirty but not hurt terribly. 

“Dada! Dada!” She called, her little hand reaching towards the monitor and her little fingers flexing. The holoscreen suddenly had some static but it vanished quickly. 

Arla shivered and glanced around her master. Kylo side-eyed her but kept his focus on Hux and his worried daughter. 

The whole room’s heart throbbed at the sight of the little girl calling out for Ren. Ren would’ve yelled at all of them but his eyes were stuck on his daughter. 

Ares wasn’t there. 

“Where’s my son?” Ren demanded, his voice deep and booming with authority. The man chuckled.

“You see, here’s the thing. We have someone who wants to buy him off us. And we are going to ship him off in a few standard days so that is your deadline for enticing us into an offer. And if we are really irritated, then I’ll sell off your daughter. You can threaten me all you want and come and destroy me but in the end, the damage done to your family will outweigh whatever revenge you light down upon us. 

You can destroy every man in the galaxy, but you won’t be able to change the destruction in someone’s mind. I take it two developing children who get carted off won’t take it well mentally. They’ll feel abandoned, alone, and will make attachments elsewhere.” The more the man talked, the darker a place in Ren’s mind he traveled to. The kidnapper gave an ugly smile. Defiant, Hux refuted the man’s statements.

“Kriffing lowlife,” he spat despite his probable head trauma. Kylo admired Hux’s persistence, but he couldn’t have been thinking clearly. He was too strong, too strong for his own good.

The captor grabbed Hux by the face, squeezing his cheeks. Hux grimaced and tried to pull away. “This one is a tough nut to crack though. Brave in the face even when he doesn’t know where one of his babies is. I know what breaks everyone in the galaxy. I’ll break you, or perhaps I’ll even find a use for you. You are a pretty thing to some, and I know plenty who want you one way or another. Maybe being some harlot will suit you.” 

That idea genuinely seemed to frighten Hux. The room grew tense. Everyone tried to pretend they weren’t listening but the thoughts of the horrors Ren’s family would go through began to grow in their minds like a plague. He wanted them all to shut up. They all needed to stop thinking. 

In a moment of irrationality, Hux decided to spit in the man’s face. Everything seemed tensely silent for a moment. Hux’s captor was quiet. He stared at Hux with wide, wild eyes, almost in disbelief that Hux dared to treat him like trash. The man wiped the spit off his cheek. He shook his head and stepped out of the camera frame for a second. Hux’s eyes followed the man’s movements. There was a banging noise and suddenly the captor rushed back and grabbed Hux by the hair, making him groan.

Hux struggled but he had nowhere to go. The man forced Hux’s mouth open but when Hux refused the first time, he smashed Hux’s head into the table for the last time. With Hux disoriented, the man wrapped a cloth around Hux’s mouth and secured it so Hux would shut up. Hux made muffled noises in frustration. Another masked man came over and resumed the spot as Hux’s hair holder. 

The man began hitting Hux across the face repeatedly. His aim was sporadic as he just tried to hit Hux anyway he could. Hux gave pained moans through his gag and tried to be strong and have focus, but it was obvious at how worn out Hux was becoming. Ren was legitimately concerned the man was giving Hux a brain injury. 

“Stop that!” Ren shouted but the man continued to hit Hux. Galatea began crying as she watched her father become beaten and broken. Her face ran with tears and snot. She didn’t struggle in the man’s arms but watched with wet eyes, unsure of what was going on or what to do. All she knew was that her father was hurt. 

Hux’s nose began to bleed in an alarming stream. He also was bleeding from his head, the red of his blood mixing with his vibrant hair. Hux swayed. The only thing keeping his head up was the hand of the guard who held his hair. He stared with empty eyes as if he wasn’t sure where he was or what he was looking at. 

“You have been a pain in the ass for a while Starkiller. Let me teach you about what happens to those who can’t control themselves.”

The guard released Hux’s head. His head lulled again for a moment. He was tugged back into reality when the guard grabbed one of his hands and forced Hux to spread his fingers out. 

Out of nowhere, the ringmaster of the whole ordeal procured a knife. Hux struggled violently, preferring to keep all his fingers. He tried to keep his fingers shut together and attempted to ball. Hux gave a muffled yell in defiance, trying to move his fingers away. But again, Hux was stuck. 

“Unhand him!” Ren demanded but they had since stopped listening to Ren. Ren was an onlooker to Hux’s torture.

The man got to the other side of the table and touched Hux’s middle finger, choosing that one to chop. Hux kept struggling and Galatea kept crying. The ringmaster prepared his position and held the knife high up, ready to chop. Ren yelled, his stance aggressive. But there was nothing to do.

Galatea’s crying turned to one deafening scream. The screen gave another static jitter. The knife was suddenly ripped from the man’s grip and ended somewhere off-screen. His mouth was wide, gaping like a fish. Arla and Ren felt something in the Force vibrate. 

“Master—” Arla began to say before they all noticed the lights flicker inside the room Hux was in. 

Galatea was still screaming and the lights kept flickering. Everyone in the room appeared to cringe and flinch, the two captors holding their heads. A drop of blood left the main perpetrator’s nose. One of the lights burst and the room became dark.

It was Galatea, there was no doubt. Whatever device the holocall was being filmed had its screen cracked. 

The feed suddenly shut off and the holoscreen vanished. Ren stared at the space where the screen was supposed to be in horror.

“No— no! Turn it back on right now!” He demanded, panting like an animal. He was trying, trying so hard not to blow out every light on the damn ship. 

“Sir the connection is gone,” a lieutenant at a console said as gently as he could. 

Before Ren would kill the poor bastard, Arla stepped in. 

“Master, I think we can locate them. Galatea has given a strange… vibration in the Force. It may help us locate them all,” Arla offered. Ren could hear the lieutenant who spoke up sigh in relief. Mitaka spoke up as well. 

"The connection has given a better direction for search results,” he told him.

“Where?” Ren asked angrily. 

“The Cobus system, near the outer rim.” 

“Set a course,” he demanded. Mitaka sank back.

“Supreme Leader, we can't, we don’t have an exact location,” Mitaka explained. Ren growled. It looked like he was about to pop his eyeballs out of his damn head. "We just need perhaps to look somethings over."

“Get me a map, Captain Mitaka. Also, Master, we can't head a battleship through the Cobus system. It’s known for its sketchy planetary dealings and volatile characteristics. They will instantly try to fight our tie fighters and damage our vessel. And if the man knows we are coming, he might decide to kill the Grand Marshal and the children,” Arla supplied wisely. Ren considered her answer carefully. The crew was glad, for the first time in their lives, that a Knight of Ren was in the room. 

“We do have an idea whom the group is though based upon the symbol on the main captor’s chest,” Mitaka added.

“Who?” Ren squinted his eyes at Mitaka. Mitaka didn’t know how he had not died yet at the hands of Kylo Ren. 

“Blue Hearts, Supreme Leader. A pirating group that takes over ships and sells off whatever they can. They most likely were watching for Grand Marshal Hux’s ship,” Mitaka explained, reading off his holopad. 

Ren stood there in deep thought. He could still hear Galatea’s cries in his head. 

“Follow me back to my office,” Ren instructed Mitaka, walking off with a sweep of his cape. “Back to work!” 

Everyone ducked their heads and continued working diligently. Hux should at least be proud that Ren could keep the ship running with him absent. Granted, they were all searching for their Grand Marshal but it still counted. Arla and Mitaka followed Ren out.

They entered back into the room where Ren was overlooking his map with Arla. He typed into it to locate the Cobus system and the map slid to that part of the galaxy. Sure enough, the map gave many warnings about the hostility of the system. 

Arla looked at the map and pointed at one planet. It was a fat dusty looking planet called ‘GANJA II.’ Mitaka scrolled through his datapad furiously.

“They are here,” Arla told Ren. Ren was somewhat upset he couldn’t locate his own family on his own but Arla did fulfill her purpose. 

“How can you be sure? I can’t detect them,” Ren asked her suspiciously. He had to be sure, he couldn’t waste any more time. They'd get rid of his children any day. And force knows what they’d do to Hux. 

“I can’t detect them either for certain, but the process of elimination says this planet. Captain Mitaka, would you like to confirm my suspicions?” Arla said. Mitaka looked surprised as the knight was talking to him and cleared his throat. 

“It does say Blue Hearts are known to have sent ships to that planet, but they do have several other bases. People have bought their… cargo on that planet,” Mitaka said, his voice softening as the realization of Hux’s fate set in. 

Arla put a hand on his shoulder and he swallowed hard. He looked down at her but again was met by the grid of her mask. He didn’t know what to make of her. It was strange being surrounded by such powerful and dark individuals. 

“Don’t worry too much Captain, we will devise an appropriate plan to retrieve the Grand Marshal and the children without further harm,” she assured, her tone even and almost girlish. 

He nodded his head to accept her assurance. She quickly turned to her master. 

“I will not go without slaughtering those heathens,” Ren informed. 

“That fortress is impenetrable, Master. We must use our heads.” Ren leaned in close to the short knight. 

“ _Nothing_ is impenetrable. Think about the General, they said he was an impenetrable force but look now, I have two children with him and he sleeps in my bed,” Ren joked crudely. 

Arla and Mitaka cringed at Ren’s strange attempt at being humorous; his tone was too infuriated for either of them to even crack a smile. 

Ren was picturing how he’d crush their skulls or how he’d push, push, push his lightsaber from one end of their bodies to the other. The anger he felt was different from the anger he felt a few years back when he felt a lack of fulfillment and loneliness from Snoke’s trickery. 

Now he had a family, he had something to care for, he had children to carry out his legacy and look up to him. A few years ago, he wanted to kill Hux. Now he’d kill for the man. 

He’d slaughter those idiotic beasts. He refused to be apart from the ones he _cared_ for. He wouldn’t lose. Not anymore.

Arla suddenly chuckled behind her mask. “Of course, Master.” 

///

“Can you come with me?” a voice asked behind Finn.

The man flinched and spun around to see Rey standing behind him. Finn smiled at her and stood up straight, waving off the little droid he was tending to.

“Sure, what’s up?” he said, following her to the tree base where General Organa usually resided in. 

“Well, I thought we could meditate together,” Rey said. 

“Because I’m…”

“Force-sensitive, yes,” Rey confirmed, though she could still see the doubt swimming behind Finn’s eyes. 

Leia and Rey both could sense something within Finn, something most definitely related to the Force, but they hadn’t been able to help him draw it out yet. Finn could sense certain things, or at least he thought so, but he had yet to move something with his mind or influence someone to complete a task under his control.

It was frustrating for him to feel like he was failing Leia and Rey. They assured him he wasn’t, since not everyone wields the Force the same, but Finn wanted to do more than he was currently doing.

There was a lingering doubt in his mind that maybe, just maybe, if he knew how to control the Force then Rey wouldn’t have been thrown against a tree by Kylo Ren, that he could’ve stopped General Hux from humiliating Rose and him, that maybe Luke wouldn’t have perished…

“Don’t think like that,” Rey assured him. He huffed and shrugged his shoulders, thinking he should’ve been the one comforting Rey for her doubts and hardships. 

Ignoring all the politics and the worries of their small but regrowing Resistance effort, they went into the tree base and sat on the ground. They were surrounded by old books and maps; the whole area smelt like ancient knowledge. 

They sat down, back to back, and mediated the way Leia taught them (and a little of the way Luke taught Rey). 

It had been a while since Rey had received any meaningful messages from the Force, but she wasn’t too pressed to find them. She didn’t want to search for something that was searching for her and leave herself up to vulnerability again. If the Force needed her to know something, she figured she would know when the time was right. 

She could feel Finn twitch behind her. 

“I don’t see the point in this, I’m not like you,” Finn murmured and Rey shushed him. Finn gave a sarcastic groan and she smiled. While she was disheartened by Finn’s disappointment, she knew he had more hope in his heart than that. 

“You’re right, you’re like yourself so you shouldn’t be compared to me. Leia said to give it time,” she said softly.

“I’m trying to.” 

Rey took in a deep breath and focused herself, listening to the sounds of the wind and the rustling of the forest.

In the distance, she could make out the sounds of Rose and Lieutenant Connix giggling as they worked on a new type of magnet bomb. She could sense Kaydel Connix’s heart jump when Rose’s finger brushed against hers. 

“ _You think this will give those fascists a scare?_ ” Rey could hear Rose snicker. Rey smiled but turned away from the conversation. 

She focused herself elsewhere. Somewhere on the planet, one of the Resistance pilots was talking with Poe, their energy more distraught. 

“ _I think we should take the offer for the new ships_ ,” the pilot said and she could sense Poe’s disapproval. 

“ _I don’t trust those guys with giving us good ships for a good price. They have sold to the First Order, so I don’t want to risk the Order finding out and getting any information on us,_ ” Poe’s distant voice explained. Rey always felt proud of Poe, as if she was watching an older brother become a leader. “ _The Black Spire Outpost was a mess! The Order is on high alert._ ”

Rey cringed, feeling the Force move oddly. It felt as though there was static going through it like a broken comlink. She saw a flash of blue light behind her eyes. 

“ _I wanna go home_.”

Rey gasped and opened her eyes wide, clenching her chest. She leaned forward so her back and Finn’s were no longer touching.

Finn immediately spun around to look at her.

“Woah, what’s wrong?” he said, watching the sweat roll off of Rey’s forehead. 

“I heard someone I didn’t recognize,” she said. She took a few breaths in and collected herself. “They sounded like they were in danger.”

“A random person?” he asked. “There’s a lot of people in danger out there.”

“I know but… it just felt different, Finn. I have to look again,” she told him assuredly. He didn’t argue with her. He nodded his head and they sat back to back again.

Something about Finn’s presence gave Rey the strength to look deeper. Maybe that was his specialty in the Force. Or maybe it was because Rey’s cheeks were warmed around him, giving her heart hope and promise. 

She searched again for the little, sad voice that found her. 

“ _I’m scared,_ ” the voice said. She didn’t know if the voice was talking to her or if they didn’t know someone was listening. 

“Where are you?” Rey asked, suddenly realizing she was in a black void.

It was like when she was connected to Ben almost, which made a sick feeling bubble in her stomach. But this certainly was not the Supreme Leader of the New Order. 

She could see the back of the head of a little boy, his golden curls wild. She could tell he was dirty. The child was hunched over on the floor, sniffling and shaking. 

“ _Who’s there?_ ” the little boy replied, breathing in deeply. 

“I’m a friend,” she said. “Are you lost?”

“ _I want my papa_ ,” he cried out. 

The boy turned around in the black space they were in. She recognized his eyes and finally understood that the voice was one she had heard before.

It was the boy from the market at the Black Spire Outpost; the child who cried when he thought he was lost. She had given him a toy, but she didn’t see it with him. 

“Where is he?” Rey asked, crouching down as if she could see eye level with him. It didn’t matter how she moved, they were in two different parts of the galaxy. 

“ _The bad people took him. And Tea!_ ” he said, though Rey didn’t understand what ‘and tea’ meant. “ _I wanna go home._ ”

Rey’s heart nearly broke. She knew that there were millions of children in the galaxy who were lost, stolen, left behind, turned into stormtroopers—

She knew she couldn’t save everyone. But what would the Resistance be if they didn’t try?

“Where are you?” she tried to ask him but he shook his head and cried loudly. 

“ _I dunno. Papa!”_ he sobbed out, rubbing his eyes. 

Rey saw something glisten on the boy’s wrist. There was a metal bracelet with some sort of number and wording on it. 

She began to walk towards him in the void but was slow. The void began to tremble and flicker; she was beginning to see the real world again. 

“Wait, please calm down.” If their connection died, then the boy would probably be lost to the universe like billions of others. 

Maybe she could help him. Maybe he didn’t have to be alone without his parents. 

“ _Papa… daddy,”_ he continued to cry. The frequency between them worsened.

Rey managed to grab his wrist and rip off the bracelet. She fell backward, looking up to see a wooden ceiling and feeling something leathery against her back.

She heard a grunt and got up; she had fallen against Finn. 

Finn was staring at her wildly.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Did you… hear me talk?” 

“Only bits and pieces left your mouth. Whom were you talking to?” Finn paused, a horrified look stretching across his face. “You weren’t talking to Kylo Ren again, were you?”

“What? No! Absolutely no!” she told him, squeezing her hand closed.

She gasped and realized that the bracelet was still in her hand. She had taken something from him in a similar fashion to how Kylo could get things from her surroundings. 

Finn leaned over to look at what she had. Rey held it up to the light. 

There was a series of numbers and letters on the band, followed by a design of a heart shape being stabbed. 

“‘ _Ganja II_.’ That must be a location,” she said, then rushed out of the tree base. Finn followed.

“Woah, what are you talking about?” Finn asked.

“I saw a little boy, a child. He was crying and seemed to have been kidnapped or stolen or something. And we were connected like I was with Kylo,” she explained to Finn, spinning around so they both stopped walking. “I know it’s crazy, but I can’t leave that child there.”

“How do you know it’s real?” Finn questioned. He didn’t like any Force connection stuff, for obvious reasons. 

“I saw him, Finn. I can’t leave him there. He’s just a kid.” She looked at the bracelet and took in a deep breath. “Maybe he’s the key to something. I think I saw him on Batuu. Maybe we indirectly caused him to be kidnapped.” 

“You don’t know that, Rey." Finn paused then awkwardly added, "Do you see yourself in him?" She felt angry with him for a moment and then let the feeling leave. She knew he was right in his presumption. But she also knew she needed to find this child. 

“Finn. We should at least try to help him. Maybe this could reveal something important to the Resistance, I can feel it in my gut!” 

Finn stared at her with soft eyes. Her smile, her hope, they were all things that were hard to argue with and see the potential in. 

“Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s talk to Leia.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do i do this to myself. also I've been working on another fic on the side but idk when I'm gonna publish it. Also dang this whole school thing is stressful, I wonder how my uni semester will go. Luck to all of us, I guess. Wash your hands!
> 
> Also yes for Rey and Finn appearances? I know this is a kylux fic but they make my heart whole. And Rose x Connix I will get it off the ground. My big brain thought of it and I think it works well! oop- also is it a kylux fic if Mitaka isn't having the worst time with everyone else? I like how mitaka has like.. 3 lines but is featured in all these fics. Ahh creativity. 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	7. Why Aren't You Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did somebody ask for kylux? no? well, you're getting it anyway. 
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos, it means a lot!
> 
> cw: mentioned abuse

Two days. Two days since he had been beaten in front of his whole crew. In front of his daughter. In front of Ren. It had been two days since he had last seen Galatea. Since he had last even had a glance from Vikrum and his goons. In two days, Hux felt himself break down. 

They had stripped him until he was wearing nothing but his underwear, undershirt, and socks. He hadn’t realized how cold the room was until he was exposed. He has since stopped fighting and pleading for his babies. All he had left to do was wait and hope. He knew Ren would come eventually. He just didn’t want it to be too late. 

He still felt the sting from his beatings. The light fixture hurt his eyes. He knew he had some severe injuries. They had put some bacta on him, but not enough to treat him properly. They also had reduced the food they brought him. Granted, Galatea wasn’t there anymore to feed. He hoped they were feeding her and Ares. 

What Hux felt the most helpless at was that he couldn’t connect to his children. If Ren was here, he’d probably be talking to them through the Force, reassuring them and telling them what to do. But Ren wasn’t here. He still wasn’t here. And Hux had no powers. 

The more Hux thought of Ren the angrier he became. He kept imagining this heroic situation where Ren would swoop down like a black-winged beast and peck out all of those who dared to touch his lover and their children. 

But no, Ren wasn’t here. Ares wasn’t here. Galatea wasn’t here. There wasn’t going to be an easy end if there’d be an end at all. The more times Hux thought it over, the more frustrated he became as well. He didn’t know why he bothered dwindling on hope. 

It would be more resourceful if he just stuck to what was happening at the moment and helped himself. But no, Hux felt as if he had grown cozy in this new domestic life he and Ren seemed to be developing and it was clouding his sense of realism. 

His body felt defeated. He was surprised he wasn’t in a coma from his head injuries. His being alive still gave him a sense of control: he could scheme to his heart's content. As long as he was awake, there was a chance he could see his children again. But again, it didn’t matter to keep his hopes up if there was no true hope in his heart. 

The door rattled but Hux sat still. He moved his legs closer to his body and leaned his head against the wall. He should get up and scratch at them and hiss, but he didn’t have the energy. Being insubordinate wouldn’t bring him any closer to his children, though it wouldn’t keep him any farther. 

When the door opened a strange new person was standing there. He was grateful it wasn’t Vikrum, but Hux wasn’t sure an unfamiliar person coming for him was a good thing. 

The girl was a twi’lek with sea-green skin. She wore a long-sleeved navy crop top and high waisted pants. Her shirt had a Blue Hearts pin stuck in it, suggesting she wasn’t their slave. Hux wouldn’t be surprised if she wwere at one point but this twi’lek seemed in good shape. Authoritative even, by her stature and how she placed a hand on her hip. Her lips twitched in dissatisfaction. She seemed to be hoping he wouldn’t look so miserable.

“Get up,” she demanded of him. He didn’t budge. The twi’lek hissed at him. She tried again impatiently, “I said get up. We are moving you.”

Hux looked up at her slowly and cautiously feeling as though they were setting a trap for him. He wouldn’t be surprised if they’d put one of his children in front of his face and lure him into another cage like a mouse. 

“Moving?” He questioned slowly. She stepped closer to him. He didn’t cower from her, he wasn’t scared of her, but he still felt the tension rise in his body. She bent down and unlocked his leg chain from the wall and held the chain in her hand. 

“Yes. You need a bath.” That was certainly more suspicious. Surely they weren’t giving him a bath to be nice. 

“What’s your angle?” He asked. She wrapped the chain a few times around her gloved hand. She gave him a tug, her eyes glaring in a warning. Hux stood up slowly, not wanting to provoke her. He felt a wave of nausea hit him like a brick. He wanted to vomit. He opted to swallow hard instead. 

She seemed muscular, so he wasn’t sure if he was in the position to attack her and try to escape. It’s not like he’d get much of anywhere with a loud chain dragging behind him and a lack of his babies. He would not leave without his son and daughter, and that was a fact. Ren himself could try to drag him out of his hellhole but he wouldn’t leave without his kids. 

Escape wasn’t an option. He had to be clever if he wanted to find Galatea and Ares if they were still around.

 _No, they are here._ Hux tried to reassure him. He hated how he couldn’t even convince himself of his thoughts. 

“My angle? To get you clean. But realistically, you have a buyer. And Vikrum seems eager about this one,” she explained. 

A buyer? Someone wanted to purchase _him_? The thought made Hux shiver. He couldn’t imagine someone so important being so quickly aware of his capture that he was sold off in a heartbeat. Then again, Vikrum already had somewhere to cart Ares too. He wouldn’t be surprised if the buyer just wanted him to torture him. 

It could've been some disgruntled person who had a family on Hosnian Prime who has been seeking relief through revenge. Or maybe it was one of his political enemies who wanted his head or to just point and laugh at his suffering. Hux wouldn’t mind so much if his kids weren't on the line.

The past Hux probably couldn’t fathom worrying about pain. He had dealt with his father, his harsh upbringing, the Academy, Snoke, and Ren. Fear always seemed like a false feeling to Hux but now, he felt soft around the edges. 

Soft from coddling, from kissing his babies on the head and building a galaxy not only that he wanted, but a galaxy where his children would thrive. And now he was afraid for his children. He hated being afraid. He’d take all the torture in the world to stop having this fear for someone else, for something he desperately wanted to protect. He didn’t want this feeling any longer. 

It reminded him of the nights he cowered from Brendol’s drunken, angry fist. It reminded him of the nights he spent in crisis, feeling the bruises on his neck while Ares sobbed for his father’s attention but Hux was so destroyed internally that he couldn’t listen. It reminded him of how he’d never know if Phasma was afraid before she perished. 

Fear, he hated fear. He’d rule the galaxy with the strength and respect, but he hated fear. He knew it amounted to nothing healthy. Not in large quantities at least. 

There were no other words spoken between Hux and the twi’lek who led him to another part of Vikrum’s castle of stolen treasures. The corridors were too confusing to memorize one time over, but Hux certainly tried even though his brain was seizing out of worry. 

She led him into a room with a bath that had a showerhead. It already was filled with bubbly water. It smelled awfully sweet. There were strange bottles beside the bath. The bath was square with a design of stacked grey slabs that seemed to lift the bath off the ground. 

The room was windowless and the walls were more lightly colored in contrast to the dark greys that seemed to be a staple of the castle’s interior design. In the corner of the room, there was a vanity with a large mirror. The vanity was covered in various products and on the seat, something was shimmering, some sort of fabric. 

The twi’lek pointed at the bath. “Go. Get in.”

“Not with you watching,” he scowled at her. 

“Someone has to make sure you don’t escape. Besides I have to make sure you are up to standard.” Hux figured she meant he had to look presentable. “Don’t worry, I don’t care for your male parts.”

That wouldn’t stop Hux from being self-conscious. He never had shown off himself to anyone other than Ren. The twi’lek woman seemed indifferent to him and radiated no sexual interest, which was odd given the unfortunate treatment and associations twi’leks had, but Hux still didn’t want her to see him. 

He didn’t like feeling exposed. He felt disgusted by the thought. 

She dropped his chain. He flinched at the noise and stared at the discarded object. He highly considered bolting for it but she must have been good at her job because she disbanded a knife-like device from her belt and turned it on. It was another electric probe, just shorter. She eyed him, warning him to watch himself. 

He walked up the stone slabs to look into the bath. The chain on his ankle clinked and scraped against the floor as he walked. It felt heavy without someone to hold it. The water was a pale blue where he could see past the bubbles. Someone overdid the soap. 

He looked back to the twi’lek who was looking away uncaringly, flickering her knife probe on and off again, a small little buzz following after each time she turned it on. 

Quickly, Hux took off his clothes. His usual pristine uniform was tattered with old bloodstains, sand, and dust. Not to mention wrinkles. His hair wasn’t much better, the old hair gel made him feel crusty and greasy. Hux faced away from the twi’lek girl while he disrobed, but she was truthful in saying she wouldn’t care about him getting naked. With his clothes left on the steps, Hux got into the bath. 

The water was refreshingly warm, and the calming scent of the bubbles and oils helped him relax. He let half the chain out of the bath, and it plopped next to it with an obnoxious clink. The twi’lek still didn’t look at him. 

He began to wash the dirt and grime out of his hair. He picked up one of the bottles labeled in basic that appeared to be some floral smelling shampoo. He put near a handful in his hair and scrubbed vigorously, glad to feel his hair be free of the weight of the mess he was currently in. He repeated the same with the conditioner, hoping to revive his hair of some softness. He began to feel better in the bath, calm even, but he was still acutely aware of the danger ahead. 

While running his fingers through his hair and splashing his face with the pastel water, he thought back to Ren and how he’d play with his hair. Ren loved his hair. He always loved its bright coloration and how it could change how mature Hux looked. Ren would run his rough fingers through his hair as if it was a speeder going through a long terrain, leaving behind a trail of where it had been. 

He thought back to when Ren had washed Galatea’s hair with careful precision as if he was worried he’d wash the white out of her hair. He thought of Ares’s lovely locks of golden blonde hair that curled like Ren’s when the messy knight decided to put the effort into keeping it short and clean. 

Hux splashed more of the water in his face and scrubbed himself dry. If this was the last luxury he’d have, he was going to take it. At the very least, if Ren was going to burst in at least he’d look clean. 

The water began to get dirty but he didn’t want to get out. The twi’lek woman seemed to have enough of his bathing though.

“Shave yourself and then get out. There are towels to the side and a razor,” she instructed. Her eyes were glaring into him. His upper lip twitched and he complied. 

He looked over the edge of the other side of the bath where two plush blue towels were waiting for him. There was also the razor the woman wanted him to use. It was cheap and would make a poor weapon if he could get the flimsy blade out of it. She was staring at him intensely, aware of his thought process. This certainly wasn’t her first time being an accomplice to kidnapping. 

Hux grumped to himself in frustration. Of course, there’d be no easy answers to escape. Of course, of course, of phasking course! 

Hux shaved his legs and armpits with a neutral face. Internally, he was seething in his fury. He half considered nicking himself with the razor to cut his leg, making himself less presentable but he doubted that would end well for him. He didn’t even know if the blade was fine enough in the razor to gash his skin. 

When he felt like he was done shaving he looked to the twi’lek guard. Her lips tightened and Hux glared right back at her. He wasn’t shaving anything more. 

“Put on a towel and sit on the chair near the vanity,” she instructed. He was going to crack her skull if she kept demanding things from him. He listened anyway. 

Hux grabbed the two towels off the side of the bath. He wrapped one around his waist and the other he used to try to dry off his hair. Too tired to fight her, he sat down in front of the vanity and saw his solemn face. His eyes looked exhausted and he didn’t seem to have much glow left in his face. The twi’lek finished shaving his face and then brought out a kit. Opening it, she revealed weird containers and powders and brushes. Hux cocked an eyebrow at her. 

“It’s makeup,” she explained. Hux wasn’t ashamed to wear makeup, he just hated the idea of having to be made into a doll for some buyer’s sick enjoyment. “You look better after your bath, but you’re still a mess. Injuries won’t make the buyer want to give us full price.”

 _Maybe if I give myself a scar like Ren’s, I’ll be worthless to your pathetic buyer_ , Hux thought. 

The twi’lek took her time fixing Hux’s hair and doing his face with glitter, powder, and foundation. He didn’t bother looking at himself in the mirror, afraid of knowing what she made him become. His cheeks became rosy for a moment as he considered what Ren would say if he saw him naked and dolled up so pliantly. It was too shameful for Hux. 

The twi’lek seemed to know what she was doing, at least, matching all the right colors to his face but he hated the sight. 

The clothes were even worse.

He had to wear a strange white and teal two-piece outfit. The top was cropped and hugged around his chest. It was white but a v-neck cut in the middle that was sewn with a teal netted fabric to show his chest. The sleeves were long but had slits in them. The pants had slits as well but covered his legs. Real jewels covered the pants like a constellation of stars. He felt stupid. 

With the chain still around his foot, the twi’lek led him away from the bath. He felt clean, but somehow the inside of him felt dirty. 

She picked up his chain again. “Now you’re less ugly.”

Hux snorted at her. “Right.” 

“Come on, let’s see who would take the risk into buying the Grand Marshal,” she said passively, tugging at him and leading him out of the room. Hux looked down to his feet and cringed at the sight of his strange pants.

“Some idiot who clearly has a death wish,” he responded, his voice hinting at his fury. She didn’t seem to take notice of his anger— or she didn’t care. 

“Not my business,” she replied. 

“It will be,” he murmured, though he felt as if his own words were meaningless. 

He was led into a great out hall that has numerous people talking and looking around in. The hall had high ceilings with an orange chandelier hanging from the top, decorated with orange stones and strange little skulls. It seemed like the only room in the fortress with windows. 

In the back of the hall were large seats fit for royalty where he could see Vikrum seated, gossiping with some twi’lek woman. Hux couldn’t tell if she was a slave or an actual member of the pirating group. He glanced at the muscular twi’lek guiding him, almost curious about what she thought of it. 

He was led into the middle of the room, surrounded by rectangular tables made of orange wood. There was a teal circle on the floor in the design and Hux was forced to kneel on the floor. 

The chain around his ankle was attached to a metal loop sticking out of the ground. He figured he was in some sort of grand entertainment and selling room. He didn’t spot his children anywhere, but he didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. 

The twi’lek woman walked away, leaving Hux alone in the center. He could see masked guards everywhere, dressed up in brown ragged clothing with their long, electric prongs clenched in their fist. 

Ahead of Hux was a set of large double doors, also guarded. He wondered if he could make a run for it. Not that it mattered; he couldn’t go anywhere without Galatea and Ares in his arms.

Vikrum appeared behind him.

“I have to say,” the man began, making Hux flinch, “I’m surprised this is all going swimmingly. For me, I mean. I’m sure it will get complicated later, but for now, we will be getting enough credits to perhaps avoid some trouble.”

“Whoever is paying you for myself and my children, I’ll double it,” Hux offered, still staring straight ahead. 

Vikrum grabbed him by his cheeks and forced the kneeling Grand Marshal to look at him. Hux growled at him, baring his teeth like an animal. 

“And why would I be stupid enough to send you right back to the Order?” Vikrum asked cruelly. Hux thought if he could lean his face up a little more, he could snap off Vikrum’s nose with his teeth. 

He could hear the front doors opening, the sound echoing through the room like an omen of death. There was the loud click, click, click of a pair of heeled boots coming closer and closer to him. 

Hux didn’t look; he could glare at Vikrum instead. 

“I thought I said I wanted the merchandise untouched,” a woman’s voice said. Vikrum let go of his face, giving Hux one last glare before looking at his client. 

“My mistake,” Vikrum said almost sarcastically. 

Hux slowly looked up and felt himself heat up in fury.

A young face stared at him with her cold, brown eyes. Her eyes were like a forest after a fire: desolate and dark, giving him a sense of despair. 

“Hello, Hux,” she said, her hands on her hips. 

Miss Kane didn’t look pleased to see him. 

But Hux certainly knew why she was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)
> 
> hehehe plot. someone motivate me to write more T-T. autocorrect wants to throttle me for all these star wars words. leave a comment <3


	8. Catch and Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back to school... yay. Good luck everyone this year! stay safe. expect slower updates, pls forgive me. 
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos!

Idiotic is too simple a word for Hux to describe how he felt. Foolish seemed more mature, but there had to be a word stronger than that to describe the combination of stupidity, betrayal, and agitation he was feeling. 

The girl from Canto Bight who gambled away his money, who caught him on the Black Spire Outpost with his children, who was standing in front of him now, gave him a strange smile. There wasn't an ounce of shame in her small body and it crushed any lingering power Hux felt in his soul. 

Her lips were covered in a purple-reddish color and her hair was done up in a fine ponytail with specific sections of curls and straight hairs. She was always dressed so finely, even when she was coming to buy a human being as a replacement pet for the ones she killed. He thought about her history of fancy clothing, usually with red and black colors. She would've fit in fine with the First Order if she wasn't so adamant about taking their Grand Marshal.

She was wearing black pants and a red coat that had twin tails outlined in black and gold beads. Her hands were gloved as if she was too fine to touch anything in the fortress. 

Beside Miss Kane was a man in black armor. He was masked, carrying a large blaster in his hands. Hux was surprised they hadn’t taken it away, so he concluded she must’ve been trusted by the Blue Hearts to some extent. 

“You slimy bitch,” Hux swore, narrowing his eyes at her. He only moved forward slightly and Miss Kane’s guard pointed a blaster at him. Hux stopped moving. 

Miss Kane put up her hand and her guard put his blaster down. She let out a condescending giggle. 

“What, someone beat you at your own game so now you’re upset?” she said, taking a step closer to him. 

“You are behind all of this, somehow,” he accused. She shrugged her shoulders. 

“You think of me so poorly?” she asked, jutting out her lip to mock him. 

It seemed to make sense to Hux that Miss Kane somehow set everything up so she could do… something to him. She didn’t know if she wanted to kill him or resell him or what her plan was but it seemed probable that she orchestrated at least part of the series of events that led him to be captured. She had the sort of face where you couldn't tell what she was thinking, even when she was emoting. Her smile could've meant pleasure or anger or boredom. He didn't know what truly was festering under her tanned skin.

He theorized that when she saw him on Batuu she perhaps tipped off pirates to come to get him so she wouldn’t have to do it herself. If anything went poorly, she wouldn’t be blamed for it. 

But Hux did not know her motive, nor could he confirm his suspicions. He remembered her on Canto Bight: she looked so much younger then, he couldn’t imagine she had been planning to get him for so long. She must’ve seen a chance and took it. 

“This is all very nice, but how about we finalize this deal?” Vikrum said impatiently with a smirk. 

Miss Kane narrowed her eyes at him, a smug smile still on her lips.

“The deal said he would be unharmed. He’s covered in bruises. I can see them past the makeup,” she told Vikrum.

_Ah, wonderful_ , Hux thought, _they are looking at me like a piece of fruit_. 

“It’s nothing horrible!” Vikrum tried to assure her but Miss Kane didn’t look impressed. “Perhaps we can knock off a few credits since your order came damaged. Do we have a deal?”

Vikrum seemed rushed to get Hux out of his hair. Hux didn’t know if that was good or not; Hux hoped it meant the Order was close to finding him. 

“No. We don’t,” Miss Kane said firmly. Hux had to admire her gall. She was outgunned in a foreign place yet she still wanted to bargain. “I know you have Hux’s little baby weasels here too. I thought I was getting them.” 

Vikrum let out a laugh. “I’m sorry Miss Kane, someone has paid for them.” 

Hux didn’t know this. Vikrum was making it sound as if they were both being carted off, but Hux thought Vikrum was only getting rid of Ares. 

“You’re full out shit. I was told only the older one was going. Where’s the younger one?” she questioned, her smugness seemingly to diminish to reveal actual irritation. 

“Ah, I don’t think—” 

“Whatever someone else is paying, I’ll pay double,” she said, pointing at herself with her thumb. Vikrum perked up. 

Several people in the room began whispering to each other. Vikrum tensed, noticing how his crowd was reacting. 

“You want to double 50 million credits?” Vikrum asked.

“ _50_ million?” Hux gasped. He shut his mouth quickly, not meaning to be so surprised. Honestly, he thought he was worth more. 

“Shut up,” Miss Kane told him. “Yeah. I will. Both kids and the orange weasel will give you 100 million credits. And if they are in _good_ condition, I’ll even throw in some trade route information on First Order activity. So that can make you quite a bit too.”

“You’re very resourceful, Miss Kane. Not many have 100 million credits laying around,” Vikrum said, borderline becoming wary of her. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms. 

“I’m an heiress, what can I say?” she replied. 

Hux wondered exactly what that meant. He wanted to know who she was related to that gave her the ability to spend so much money and jump around from planet to planet. What backwater industry was she connected to that gave her so much money to spend like nothing?

“You’re very intent on the whole family, huh?” Vikrum said slowly. 

“Don’t worry about the details. All you need to know is I have the money. And that if this deal doesn’t fall through then you won’t be lucky in finding another buyer.”

Her threat lingered in the air, though the threat itself didn’t have a clear meaning. Vikrum stared at her for a moment that felt like an eternity to Hux. He was curious about them, but he also felt like he was invisible to both of them. 

The only saving grace he had at the moment was the fact Miss Kane wanted Hux and the kids. He wanted to be grateful, yet he could feel that maybe he shouldn’t be so hopeful. 

Miss Kane suddenly looked down at Hux, staring into his eyes. He stared back, feeling the weight of his chain around his ankle. 

She winked at him. He didn’t know if she was making fun of him. 

“Fine!” Vikrum suddenly spat out, the pressure of everyone’s intense gazes getting to him. “I’ll need to work out some details and—”

A guard suddenly came up behind Vikrum and whispered something in his ear. Vikrum’s mouth hung open for a moment. His eyes looked a bit panicked. 

Miss Kane, too, seemed irritated by this unheard message.

“Is there a problem?” she asked. Hux noticed how her body seemed to sway now, impatiently and perhaps even worriedly.

“Yes actually,” he replied matter-of-factory, “I’m afraid we’ll have to do this another day.” 

“What?” Miss Kane yelled, appalled. Her face flushed. “No, I made room for today to do this. If you want the credits this needs to be done now.” 

Hux watched as the young woman’s body tense up. He could see in her eyes that she was panicking and frustrated: the two did not mix well. 

“I apologize but we cannot make the exchange here. Resistance ships have been seen close up,” Vikrum said casually. The statement made Hux straighten, his interest piqued. 

“There is no possible way that the Resistance is here before the First Order. What business do they have?” she demanded to know.

Hux had to agree with her; the Resistance shouldn’t have been able to find him first. Hell, he didn’t even know if they knew he was missing. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps this was the real ‘buyer’ of his or his children. It didn’t seem like the Resistance to do an exchange like that though. It also didn’t make sense that they had the credits to do it. He was pretty sure they were broke. 

“Hard to say. But I have to insist this will be done another time. We can make arrangements soon,” Vikrum assured. He nodded to one of his men, suggesting for them to come over. 

Miss Kane went incredibly still, her eyes wide. Hux watched as her fingers tapped on her thigh, twitching like the legs of a spider that was crushed but not dead. 

She glanced at her guard then quickly to Hux. He had nothing to say to her.

Vikrum whispered something to the man he gestured over. Hux could hear him giving instructions on how to move the prisoners and how to safely escort Miss Kane away. 

“There will be no other arrangements,” Miss Kane said suddenly. Vikrum cocked his eyebrow and looked back at her.

She removed a small blaster that was hidden behind the split tails of her coat and blasted Vikrum right in the chest. 

Hux jolted at the sight, not expecting the sudden smell of blaster fire to invade his nostrils. Vikrum hit the ground with a loud thud and the room divulged into discord.

To the double doors behind Miss Kane, two raiders sprung up into action but Miss Kane’s guard took it upon themself to blast the men right through their hearts. 

Vikrum’s patrons and staff screamed and fled out the room through side hallways while others began to take matters into their own hands, especially those closest to the large set of seats near the glass windows. 

A large wooden table suddenly flipped over on its side and Hux looked to it, but didn’t see evidence of the people who flipped the table in their panic. A blaster bolt barely missed Hux and he let out a shriek. 

Miss Kane put her attention back on Hux, tucking the blaster into her hidden holster. 

“Help me here!” she yelled to her guard then turned to Hux. “Put your foot out or I’m leaving you here!” 

Too frazzled to completely comprehend everything, Hux did as he was told. The guard in black took his chain and stretched it so it was tightly hovering off the ground. Miss Kane reached behind her again and produced a strange silvery object in her hand.

With a flick of a button, it ignited a fiery red blade. A lightsaber. 

She swung her saber through Hux’s chain and the two of them pulled Hux to behind the flipped over the table. Blaster fire began raining down on them. 

“What the bloody hell is going on?!” Hux yelled. Miss Kane answered by tossing Hux her little blaster.

“Here! Shoot the bastards!” she instructed him. He looked between them, bewildered. Her guard seemed to be staring at Hux intensely, making him uncomfortable. Miss Kane groaned. “Mitaka, shoot them!” 

“Mitaka?!” Hux yelled, bewildered. He heard the man give an uncomfortable chuckle. 

The man removed his helmet and, sure enough, Captain Dopheld Mitaka’s face was behind it. The man’s face was sweaty and a strand of his black hair fell in front of his nose. He gave his Grand Marshal an awkward smile and then turned to fire at the men hiding behind their thrones. 

“I’m sorry, Grand Marshal sir!” Mitaka said as he fired at the pirates. Hux decided to use the small blaster Miss Kane had given him and started shooting too. Might as well. “Lady Arla and I didn’t mean to deceive you.” 

Hux felt his face become a bright red as he looked to the young woman wielding a red lightsaber, trying to deflect some of the blaster bolts. She put her hand out and a table began to float off the floor. She made a throwing motion and the table slammed into the back of the room, sending some of the shooters out into the open. 

Lady Arla Ren looked at him for a second with a wild gaze in her eye. She realized Hux was putting the pieces together and mumbled, “give me strength,” sardonically. 

He didn’t even think of the fact that one of the Knights of Ren could’ve been a young human girl. He assumed all of them were weird aliens. He didn’t even remember if Ren had ever mentioned her xenotype. 

“You… you fucking!—” Hux finished his slurred sentence by hitting three men in a row perfectly. It had been a while since he got the opportunity to shoot people. He was somehow proud he still could hit a target easily, despite the aggressive pain in his head. “You have been pestering me in your disguise for years! How dare you?” 

“Do you mind? I’m saving your life!” she replied, lowering her eyebrows. She didn’t look at Hux. “You think I go around saying ‘Hi I’m Arla Ren! I’m one of the Knights of Ren!’ Do you think that would’ve saved your ass?” 

He’d deal with her horrible sarcastic attitude later. He was furious that he was deceived by her and Mitaka. He couldn’t have imagined in _years_ that Mitaka especially could deceive him. They were fortunate that he could take out his anger and those who captured him. 

“And whose bright idea was this?!” he screamed over the sound of blaster fire.

Comically and irritatingly, Hux got his answer in the worst way possible. The double doors behind them were creaking loudly as some banged on them. The blaster fire only ceased for a moment to take in the sight of the doors trembling. 

The doors then blew wide open, an outstretched hand the first thing revealed behind it. 

There, Kylo Ren stood in his black garb and his cross-hatched lightsaber in hand. The light of his saber reflected a deep red into his eyes like a message of his anger towards the universe. 

Hux made eye contact with Kylo, watching the relief and the yearning flash across the man’s eyes. Then, that initial happy feeling vanished into his rage once more. 

Before Kylo went to Hux, he used the Force to shake the whole room. The chandelier above the thrones trembled and with a swift clench of Ren’s fist, the chandelier fell and crushed those beneath it. Hux didn’t want to reimagine the sound of men being crushed under crystal; it was something he thought would never leave his mind. 

Some men tried to escape but Mitaka and Hux blasted them into taking their last breath. 

There was a moment of calm and Kylo rushed to Hux, slouching behind the table and taking Hux’s face in his hands as if to check the plushness of the Grand Marshal’s powdered cheeks. 

Stormtroopers filed into the fortress but were unable to see Hux behind the wall of black surrounding him. Hux wouldn’t want troopers to see him in such a degrading outfit anyway. 

“Hux… I…” the Supreme Leader was at a loss for words. Hux could see the tears well up in his eyes. 

Hux didn’t know what to say. Though Ren’s hands warmed his soul and gave him the strength he needed, they weren’t done yet. Ren noticed Hux’s sorrowful eyes and took off his cloak and gave it to the scandalously dressed Grand Marshal, throwing it over his thin shoulders. 

“Our children,” was all Hux could manage to say. Ren didn’t need to hear more. 

He nodded his head knowingly and kissed Hux’s bruised knuckles before standing up again, resuming his dark expression. 

Arla Ren dutifully went beside her master, though she looked odd next to him without her black Knight of Ren outfit. She just looked like a young, spoiled girl trying to impress her older brother— or perhaps try to one-up him. 

Arla Ren turned off her lightsaber. Mitaka tried to help the Grand Marshal to his feet but Hux refused and got up himself, though his legs felt wobbly. He felt a throb of pain in his head. 

“Take the Grand Marshal back to the ship. Arla and I will seek out the children,” he explained. Hux shook his head, clenching the cloak around him.

“No! I will see my children,” he demanded, stomping his foot. It still had the remains of the metal chain. Hux stumbled slightly, dizziness preventing him from coming into his full fury.

“You’re right. You _will_ see them. After I rescue them and return them to our secure ship.”

“No, Ren. I am coming with you!” 

“This isn’t for discussion!” Ren yelled, looming over Hux. 

The Grand Marshal’s reaction was small, for only the most careful eye to see, but Ren noticed how he retracted slightly. He instantly felt remorseful (not that he could admit it). 

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. 

“Fine!” Ren said, throwing a hand up and slapping back down to his side. “But you stay between Arla and Mitaka.”

Hux nodded eagerly and Ren began to lead the way through the fortress. 

The sounds of blaster fire and screams echoed through the palace-like structure, though it was hard to tell where everyone was by the sounds. The layout seemed intricate and almost senseless, but Hux had to trust Ren to use his Force abilities to detect his children. 

Weaving through the fortress like mink looking for rats to hunt, Hux felt a coldness rush through his body. He was imagining what would happen if they didn’t find the children. 

_Don’t think like that_ , a voice in his head said. Hux looked up to see Ren peeking over his shoulder at his partner. Ren’s head snapped straight ahead afterward. 

“Master,” Arla spoke up as they walked, her lightsaber still in her gloved hand. “The head of this district of pirates said they saw Resistance activity. Which caused the skirmish.” 

“I see,” Ren said in a deep voice. 

“Don’t even think about going after them, Ren,” Hux warned. “We aren’t here to deal with them.”

“But they somehow knew to come here,” Ren retorted. 

“Yes, but we can’t confirm why they are coming here. Or are here,” Arla told him. “The leader, Vikrum, did not suggest that he knew why the Resistance was coming. He seemed panicked by the thought.”

“No, you panicked when things didn’t go your way,” Ren critiqued. Arla sneered at her master. 

“ _My_ way? I was the only one coming up with half a kriffing plan!” she picked up her pace. Hux didn’t know how she was alive with a loudmouth like that. “Master, without me there would barely be an idea of—”

Arla turned a corner and Mitaka reached out and grabbed her by the back of her coat, pulling her away from the corner and against his chest. 

She yelped at the sudden contact, only to realize that a blaster bolt came whirling by her head. 

They all pressed against the wall, watching as a few more blaster bolts uselessly fired into the wall of the hallway Arla almost went down. She rolled herself off of Mitaka, letting her back hit the wall with an audible slap. She let out a loud sigh, swearing. The two looked at each other for a second, as if this was Arla’s way of thanking him. 

“What was that about having a plan?” Ren said through his teeth, glaring at her.

“...just go get your children,” she muttered, her cheeks turning red. 

Ren responded by turning the corner, using his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts. He used the Force to slam one shooter against the ceiling, promptly destroying the man’s spine, and then broke his neck. The last man in the hall met their end by Ren piercing his saber through their gut.

The man sputtered. 

“Where’s my daughter?” he hissed viciously. The man could only choke noises out but his eyes wandered to the side. 

The body fell to the floor. Ren saw a door behind the dead man to his right and went towards it.

The other three followed Ren into the room, allowing for their Supreme Leader to see first inside. 

The room behind the door was a small, more closet space than a room. There was a crib in the middle and Galatea was there, sleeping under a thin blanket. 

Ren rushed to the crib and carefully picked her up, holding her tightly against his chest. She tossed in his arms and slowly woke up. 

“Dada?” she asked sleepily, reaching up with her little fist and touching his face. Ren’s eyes welled up with tears seeing the tired little eyes of his daughter. Her brown eyes— the eyes she got from him— seemingly didn’t reveal any trauma. 

“I’m here Galatea,” he reassured, hugging her close after she got to touch his face.

Hux pushed his way next to Ren, looking at his daughter. Hux let out a relieved but pained gasp. He pulled Galatea from Ren’s arms and pressed his forehead to hers. Ren wasn’t bothered by Hux’s haste; he knew the man wasn’t exactly mentally well. 

“Oh, darling. Are you hurt?” he asked her.

“No,” she said. She pushed her head against Hux’s collarbone, insinuating she was still tired. 

Hux and Ren looked to each other, worried their daughter had been fed something to make her sleep easier. 

“Hux, go back to the ship,” Ren told him, his voice gentle. Hux pressed his cheek against Galatea’s dirty white hair. 

“Ares…” he said sadly, glancing at the Knight of Ren and Captain staring at him worriedly. He was too happy to have his daughter back to care about how they pitied him. 

“I promise I’ll return him. I promise. I can sense him here,” Ren assured. “Please, just got to the ship so Galatea can be safe. Please, Armitage.”

Hux swayed for a moment, thinking. He then nodded reluctantly, resting his head against Galatea’s little body. 

Ren snapped at Mitaka and Arla Ren to return Hux to the ship. Once the two of them turned to leave the room, Hux pressed a quick kiss into the corner of Ren’s mouth. 

“Bring our son back,” he said before running off. 

Ren put a finger to the corner of his lip. 

Damn everyone to hell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)
> 
> is anyone truly surprised? kylo is a himbo, but he is an angry himbo that does everything with style!


	9. Begone the Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> university already got me overwhelmed... oh well! my computer has been acting up so wish me luck!
> 
> here comes some iconic heroes and just awful villains! 
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos! <3

Kylo found himself in a strange section of the fortress where the walls were a navy blue and the floors were made of broken tiles. He felt like he was in an abandoned hospital, though the stormtroopers looking around made everything feel less empty.

They had found many beings living in the fortress, though it was easy to see who was there of their free will and who was not. It was profitable to offer everyone a better life working in the First Order, but there was also a new initiative to spark a love for the New Order’s galaxy. 

Whoever didn’t want to be a part of the navy as a trooper or what-have-not got a special offer from the Order to live anywhere in the galaxy (given that it was under First Order control) with a small loan. The idea was just the mere _thought_ of the Order saving people would garter people to more willingly support their efforts. That loan, of course, would also garner interest.

It was an easy way of making them look good. It was harder to argue with the Order when they dismantled a slaving operation. Whether or not they only did it because the Children of Ren were involved would not be seen by the public. 

Ren found himself down a desolate hallway where the troopers hadn’t looked yet. The pull of his son was getting stronger and Ren had complete faith he was on the right track.

Sure enough, when Ren opened a steel door he found where Ares had been hidden. 

Unlike his sister, Ares was wide awake. The boy was sitting on the floor, his eyes red from tears. His little hands looked slightly bruised; Ren assumed he had been banging on the doors, begging to be released.

When Ares saw his father, he jumped up and ran to him crying. Ren scooped him off the floor and rubbed his back.

“I’m here,” he reassured with his deep voice, though the inflection of his tone often made his reassurance sound awkward and unnatural. He was better at threats than at being genuinely comforting. 

“Daddy, I wanna go _home_ ,” Ares whined out loudly, exaggerating the “o” in 'home' for a few seconds. 

“Did they hurt you?” Ren asked first, checking his boy’s face. There weren't any obvious injuries that Ren could see. 

“I sleeped on the floor,” Ares whined, but Ren couldn’t tell if Ares was just complaining or if that was his answer. 

It didn’t matter for now; he had his son, his daughter, and Hux. He could leave peacefully. 

“We’ll go home. Just hold onto me,” Ren instructed. Ares nodded his head and hid his face in Ren’s shoulder.

Ren left the room, wondering if there were more children nearby. If they were orphaned, it thought it would be best to bring them to the _safety_ of the Order. 

Someone turned the corner and was at the end of the hallway.

It was the last person Ren expected. 

“ _You_ ,” she said, her accent pronouncing the single-syllable word with utter disgust. 

Ren blinked, thinking for a moment this was his imagination, a trick in the Force made to test him. But her lightsaber— once Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber— ignited and the blue color filled Ren with a horrible feeling.

Rey was certainly real and standing down the hall. And she certainly could see the toddler wrapped in Ren’s arms, as quiet as a mouse.

He noticed that the lightsaber was different; he could see the halves of Anakin’s saber making up this new design. Rey’s new saber was longer, more like a short staff, although she only had one end lit up. Ren deduced she must have made a dual-ended saber. Ren studied about lightsabers when he was younger, immediately recalling the design once used by the sith Darth Maul.

He wondered if Rey knew such things about ancient Jedi and wiped out Sith. 

Ren had his lightsaber in his hand, a savage creation of his design with no inspiration from past Sith, but he didn’t think he could fight the girl with Ares in his arms. 

“So you’ve returned,” Ren said plainly, twirling his saber in between his fingers. 

He knew he was an obvious threat to everyone who looked at him, but also he knew Rey had a cockiness to her that if she didn’t see an obvious sign of aggression that she wouldn’t bother feeling endangered.

“Returned?” she asked, disturbed. “I am not here to deal with the likes of you. But I see you’re kidnapping children for the Order again.”

Ren let out a strange laugh, but in reality, he was becoming impatient. 

“Is that what you think this is?” Ren questioned, waiting for doubt to grow in her eyes like a plague spreading across a city. But her stance only widened. 

She wasn’t wearing her usual get up; she was wearing a mostly black outfit with a white cut to it. Her clothes seemed somehow more professional. The outfit looked strangely similar to something he had seen Luke Skywalker wear— or perhaps he only saw it in a holo of Luke. 

“Am I wrong? I’m pretty sure it’s common knowledge where your troopers come from,” she spat. 

They were both losing patience with this conversation. 

“I’m pretty sure you don’t know anything. You’re still weak, no matter what you put on,” he told her. She gritted her teeth. “I told you, Rey. You’re nothing without me. So much potential squandered just so you can please that old hag. And yet you keep coming back to me.”

“I’m not here for you!” she affirmed.

He noticed that her eyes glanced at Ares. He figured she thought he was kidnapping some random child. 

His confrontation with Rey was different now that he had fully enveloped himself in the whole being-a-father thing. It did almost feel stupid to fight with her when there were better things to do.

But he certainly did hate every inch of her. He certainly wanted to see her fail so he could tell her how much of a fool she really was. 

Ren thought she was better off on the backwater desert planet she came from; a lonely nobody with no concept of the possibility of greatness. At least then she couldn’t be disappointed so massively. 

“Ah, a savior complex,” he said.

“You’re one to talk about a savior complex,” she said, raising her saber. He knew she didn’t have it in her to attack him with a child wrapped in his arms. She wouldn’t risk hurting the toddler.

“I wanna go home,” Ares whined in Ren’s shoulder, seemingly oblivious to what was going on.

Ares looked at Rey, his eyes still wet from crying. Ren watched as Rey’s broken, caring heart rose into her eyes, revealing every inch of her useless empathy.

“You…” she stopped herself from continuing, knowing she was under Ren’s gaze. Then she yelled out, “Let him go!”

“I don’t have time for this,” Ren groaned. Rey seemed perplexed by Ren’s reaction, not used to the dark sider feeling inconvenienced by a fight. “I will be leaving, but it won’t be the last time you’ll see me.” 

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“No? I’m sure you don’t want a child to watch as I turn you into a puddle of blood and bones,” he threatened. 

Rey didn’t budge. She was blocking the way out of the hall. Ren knew he had to fight his way out. He wouldn’t be bested by her again: he was in perfect health and his mind was clear, though he was in a hurry.

He had to put Ares down. Ares didn’t fuss for a moment as his legs touched the ground. Rey put her arm out as if to suggest to the child to come her way, but Ares didn’t move. There was no telling if he was ignoring her offer and just didn’t understand it.

Rey clenched the handle of her saber as Ren ignited his red blade. The Supreme Leader rolled his neck knowing this was a long time coming. It was satisfying to watch Rey finally realize her lack of intelligence. 

All Ren did was move forward slightly to break their standoff, and Ares started bawling, absolutely decimating the mood. 

The toddler put his hands on his face and cried, the noise echoing around. Ares crawled over and hugged Ren on the leg, clinging to him like he was glued on.

Rey couldn’t help it and furrowed her brows; she had no idea what to make of the scene. Ren felt his face get hot. He wasn’t easily embarrassed but he could only imagine the strangeness of the sight of the fearless Supreme Leader of the First Order being clung to by a toddler. 

“Get off,” he said to Ares through his teeth. Ares shook his head and let out a shrill scream only a child throwing a tantrum could let out. 

“ _Daddy!_ ” Ares cried out, putting his arms up and falling back a little. 

Rey’s stance softened up, confusion spreading across her face. Ren shifted his jaw.

Leave to Ares to always divulge secrets just to get what he wants. 

But Ren used it as an opportunity. In a swift motion, Ren grabbed Ares off the ground with one hand and charged at Rey. 

As Rey was caught off guard by the confusion, Ren used the Force to try to slam her against the wall to get past her. He wanted to capture her or put an end to her once and for all, but he couldn’t with Ares wrapped in his arm like a fragile vase. 

Rey used her Force abilities to prevent herself from violently slamming against the back wall, seemingly having learned from their fight on Starkiller Base. 

Ren carelessly swung his saber towards her, lacking his usual finesse and precision. She ducked and rolled out of the way, but in that quick exchange, Ren managed to get them to switch positions so he could leave the hall and she was facing a dead end. 

Ares squealed the whole time being swung around in his father’s arms; he thought it was rather fun to feel like he was flying. 

Rey and Kylo Ren made eye contact once the swift moment was done. Ren’s right hand held his sizzling lightsaber while his left adjusted so he could properly get a grip on Ares. Ares was still giggling, throwing his head back. 

“Again!” he demanded. Rey glanced at the strange child. 

“What is this?” she demanded, a teardrop threatening to escape her eye. 

Ren didn’t offer her an answer. Instead, he looked into the blue-green eyes of his boy. He turned his head towards Rey, let his fearsome gaze be known, then left her behind. 

It felt powerful to leave her in a state of confusion. It almost felt like revenge. Almost. 

He headed down the halls, but he could hear Rey chasing after him foolishly. He passed some troopers, waving his hand to command them to deal with Rey. 

Ren could hear the troopers blasting as Rey tried to make her way to him. He didn’t know why she was so pressed to come to him, surely she could wait a little longer to lose to him. 

He left the fortress and went to his shuttle. He took one last look at the sleek black fortress, wondering why this was the chosen place to leave his family in a state of panicked dishevelment. 

Four sith troopers were guarding the shuttle, standing up straighter when their Supreme Leader came close. 

“Let’s leave,” he instructed them. 

He entered and walked to a seating area where Mitaka and Arla Ren were standing, watching as a nurse checked Galatea for injuries. 

The two let out a sigh of relief seeing Ares in Ren’s arms. The shuttle shook and quickly enough, they were leaving.

Ren didn’t sense where Rey was as they left. And he was glad for that. 

“Where’s Hux?” Ren asked, sounding a bit haggard. 

Hux then appeared from another room, new bandages on his face. He had since changed out of the humiliating outfit he was forced in and was now wearing plain grey clothes. Ren could see his bruises now that some nurse droid had cleaned up his face. His fist tightened as he observed every dark bruise and cut on his Grand Marshal's lovely face. 

Hux lit up when he saw Ares. Hux put his arms out and Ren handed over their son to him. 

“Papa!” Ares cheered. Hux kissed the boy’s hair then quietly let out a sob into his head. 

“Ares… are you all right, my dear?” Hux asked. Ares nodded gleefully. 

“I’m hungry,” the child told his father. Hux smiled softly. 

“We’ll get you a big meal soon, love,” Hux said. 

The nurse that was tending to Galatea went over to Hux and offered to check on him. Hux reluctantly handed his son over once more. 

“Captain Mitaka, go with the nurse and observe her. I would also like you checked,” Ren instructed. Mitaka’s eyes widened. He wondered if this was Kylo Ren’s strange way of thanking him. 

Hux trembled at the thought of still having to be separated for his kids. 

The Grand Marshal looked to his feet as the nurse and Mitaka took Galatea and Ares into a separate room. The two children babbled to each other as they left the room. 

When they left, Ren turned to Hux, putting his hands up. He wanted to inspect his injuries. 

“Hux—” Ren said, a smile growing across his plush lips.

A dangerous look flashed across Hux’s face.

Hux backhanded Ren across the cheek, the noise echoing loudly.

Ren stilled, stuck in the position of the aftermath of his head whipping to the side. 

Arla left the room afterward, wide-eyed and awkward. Ren didn’t need to tell her to leave. 

“Where the fuck were you!?” Hux screamed once she left, his fist shaking in fury. 

Ren regained his composure and swallowed his anger. He wanted Hux to be grateful but had quickly come to terms with that his partner had been through a lot with little outlet for his emotions. It was something he, ironically, had learned from Hux, and perhaps Hux learned to be more furious from him. 

Even when this was the highest level of disrespect, Ren couldn’t hurt Hux. The ginger’s reddened eyes and once-broken nose was enough proof of his distress. 

“Hux, I’m sorry,” he said gently. Hux shook his head and took in an unsteady breath. 

“Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know what our _kids_ have been through? Where were you!” Armitage pounded his fist against Ren’s chest. Ren let him be furious for a few seconds then gently grabbed his wrists, holding him. Ren brought Hux’s fists up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. Hux took in an unsteady breath.

“Your tracker broke. We don’t know how this happened,” Ren explained. 

Hux opened his mouth to scream at him, then shut it promptly. He realized that Arla Ren didn’t tell Kylo that he had left the ship. 

Perhaps she was doing him a favor. 

“I just want to rest with my children,” Hux said, defeated. He knew he couldn’t dwell on this too long. He had much to accomplish. 

Hux swayed unsteadily and Ren pulled him against his chest, a hand on the back of the Grand Marshal’s head and one holding his little wrist. 

Hux sniffled and stayed still. He nuzzled his face into the side of Ren’s neck, trying to hide his distress. 

“I know.” Ren could feel some dried blood still in Hux’s hair. “You’ll have plenty of time to rest on the _Vanguard_.” 

“No. I have to get back to work as soon as possible. I have to find out what disgusting creature tried to take Ares,” Hux insisted, pulling away from Ren.

“We will. Trust me.” Hux looked to the floor, his lip trembling and his eyes wide. Ren put a hand to the man’s bruised cheek. “You can… cry. I won’t judge you.”

Any other person would find Ren’s statement awkward, the man was not used to being a comfort. 

But Hux had no else that comforted him to compare to. It was the first time he had heard someone assure him it was safe to feel.

So Hux did.

He felt every inch of his pain and trauma. 

He had to do it now because later, there’d be work to do. 

And good Grand Marshals needed to know when to let it go. 

///

Rey stared at her lightsaber, feeling how much it weighed down her hand. She spun it between her fingers, watching the long staff become a blurb of fast-spinning lines.

She retracted her saber into its shorter form. She was glad Rose Tico figured out how to help her design this new saber. She loved her staff and the lightsaber, but together they made her feel unbalanced. She still wasn’t used to the form. 

By the time she had left the fortress, Ren was gone with the child. She couldn’t stay behind either; the Resistance was ill-equipped to handle the large bounty of stormtroopers on Ganja II. 

“Are you sure you’re fine?” Poe Dameron asked her, looking over his shoulder. They hadn’t flown the Falcon out; it needed some repairs still. 

“What? Yes,” she said, though her voice lacked the confidence she needed. 

“Knew we shouldn’t have gone. I know you wanted to do the right thing but it was risky,” Poe said. She leaned back into her seat and sighed. 

“I didn’t know the First Order would be there.” That much was already obvious. 

They were silent and the ship began to feel frigid like the emptiness of space. 

Rey dug into her pocket and looked at the bracelet she had stolen off the child’s arm from the void in the Force. She wondered if she was connected to Kylo Ren long enough if he would’ve stolen things from her. She should’ve felt relieved that the Force led her to someone else to be forced to look at, but she couldn’t be. 

She didn’t know why the Force was giving her these strange new connections and abilities. She didn’t know what it all meant. 

“What happened?” Poe asked reluctantly. She frowned. She knew he was asking if she saw Ren.

Everyone had been walking on eggshells around her about the subject after they slowly learned about her time on the _Supremacy_. She didn’t disclose all the details but it was enough to make many feel like she wasn’t trustworthy like she’d given up something to Ren. 

It made her blood boil. But she understood why they felt that way. She wouldn’t trust herself either. 

“It was actually… rather strange,” she admitted.

“Oh?” Rey got up and sat in the co-pilot seat, buckling herself in. 

BB-8 beeped at her from next to the seat.

“Yes there was fighting, BB-8, but nothing I couldn’t handle,” she smiled at the droid. Her smile receded as she remembered the fight though. It wasn’t even a real fight. 

“Well, don’t keep secrets from me! Tell me the juicy details,” Poe teased, giving her his million credit smile. 

“It… I did see Kylo Ren.” She saw how Poe immediately tensed up. She never asked him if he was mad at her for trying to bring the light out of Ben, to try to help the man who tortured him. 

“Broody as usual?” He joked but it felt humorless. 

“I mean, sure. But his presence wasn’t what threw me off; it was,” she stumbled over her words for a moment, “it was the fact he was holding the child I was pretty sure I thought I was going to save.”

Poe thought for a moment. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that Kylo Ren was holding to the child I saw in my Force vision and the child was holding onto him too. And… and—”

“And what?”

“And I’m pretty sure that child addressed Kylo Ren as his father!” Rey shouted. 

The ship jerked. Rey gripped the armrest and BB-8 rolled back into his spot, complaining to Poe. 

“Sorry,” he said, resuming his usual flying. “Rey, no offense, but are you serious? Could you have misunderstood.”

“I don’t think I could make up something like this ever. I know I heard that child right but I can’t tell if he— you know— meant it,” Rey explained, scratching the side of his head. “I mean it wouldn’t make that much sense either, I think. The child looked at least four or five years old. When would Kylo Ren have time to have a child? _Who_ in their right mind would want a child with that monster?”

“There are other ways to have a kid than just to find a person to settle down with,” Poe reminded her, somewhat grimly. 

Rey’s head went to some dark places. She swallowed.

“I guess so.” Another pause. “Should I ask Leia about it?”

“Sure, but I can’t imagine what she’ll say.” 

She felt utterly ridiculous for thinking such an outlandish thing, but she knew there had to be some truth behind it. She couldn’t imagine such a cruel man being so careful to protect his child.

But of course, monsters needed to make more monsters to continue on their ravaging. 

Rey didn’t want to think of the child as inherently bad, because he wasn’t, but she knew from the tales of escaped stormtroopers that the First Order did something to everyone’s minds. They melted brains and reformed them into their liking. Only some had the will to break free from their propaganda and the surface level truths. 

She didn’t want to think such a sweet-looking little boy would end up like Ren. She didn’t know that child, but she knew that the Order could turn him into poison.

“Why would the Force show me that child?” she asked herself, but Poe replied anyway. 

“Force stuff is usually strange, isn’t it? I mean that’s what Finn tells me. Sometimes it shows you random shit and sometimes it makes our jobs easier.” 

Rey didn’t reply. She kept thinking about that little boy that clung to Ren’s leg. It seemed wrong. 

She knew it was somehow wrong to go to Leia with these questions; the woman already suffered enough knowing her flesh and blood was the one decimating the galaxy she worked so hard to protect. But Leia was the only one she thought she could go to for answers.

She closed her eyes and leaned back, wondering what Luke would do. What he would say to her. 

Somehow she was glad he didn’t reply. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)
> 
> Rey and Poe moments for the win. The only thing that keeps them from going feral is Finn let's be real. 
> 
> leave a comment!


	10. The Red King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my professors r really tryna kick my ass huh. I'm so busy SAVE ME! I am also addicted to Among Us so there's that. I have also been thinking about writing more kylux fanfics but I need more time; I have so many ideas!
> 
> Leave a comment and a kudos, it means so much! Your comments make me squeal. 
> 
> cw: sexual content, discussions of war invasions

It wasn’t until a few days after the events on Ganja II that Kylo Ren realized how much work they had to catch up on. 

Officers and delegates alike were panicked about trade routes and galactic relationships, people were questioning where their Grand Marshal had been, and some more aware than others of the recent occurrences kept asking about the children.

It was another reminder to Ren that _he_ wasn’t really in charge; they all still looked to Hux for real guidance. Perhaps in the former years, this would’ve caused outrage, but now Ren was more inconvenienced with the fact many officers wanted Hux over him. Sure, he didn’t like having to talk to everyone but it would’ve been nice if they at least pretended he had the same diplomatic skills.

The work they had to resume made them easily forget about what had happened. Ren left the interrogating to others; their lives were so busy that Ren had not even made a gigantic deal out of seeing Rey once more. He had forgotten, momentarily, that she had seen Ares.

When Ren remembered this fact, his skin turned cold. He hadn’t stopped to think about what Rey could do with that information because he was so busy with the Order and making sure Hux was recovering.

Hux was the one putting up more of a struggle when it came to his recovery. 

The children were dutiful in their sleep cycles and taking their vitamins and even going back to their tutoring lessons, but Hux wasn’t so easily settled. He wanted desperately to do more work, but the more he pushed himself the slower he recovered.

For one, the man had a terrible concussion that already hadn’t been treated for the several days he was on Ganja II. The doctors didn’t know how his brain wasn’t practically lopsided because of the previous lack of treatment followed by him shooting blasters, sprinting, staring at bright lights, and, lastly, not sleeping right. Ren wondered if this was a blessing of the Force— or more likely that Hux’s body was too stubborn to be deterred by injury. 

Hux had his nose reset and his bruises were healing fine, though he had to wear a bandage across the bridge of his nose. When Galatea saw the bandage, she asked to match him and for two days she wore a pink band-aid across her nose. I’m a strange way, Ren thought she was encouraging her father to rest up. 

While Hux was doing much better, he was still irritating the nurse droid by insisting he could work _one_ more hour or that he didn’t _need_ to eat a full meal because he was busy. 

Ren returned to their chambers after a day of nearly throttling some of the members of high command. Ares and Galatea rushed to their daddy, squealing like nothing ever happened. 

“Daddy, daddy!” Ares cheered. He was faster than Galatea, for obvious reasons, and got to Ren’s feet first. 

“Yes?” Ren asked, walking over and scooping Galatea off the floor. He had done her hair up tightly that day, so he didn’t understand how she managed to let every lock and curl of her hair free from his careful braiding.

“Look what I can do!” Ares said. He then stood on one foot for about seven seconds, did a hop, and then smiled.

“That’s nice.” Ren may have cared for his children, but he didn’t particularly understand them. He looked at Galatea. “Did you learn something today?”

Galatea shook her head no, giggling. He was sure she was joking (did two-year-olds know how to joke?). 

Hux appeared in the room, wearing his silk pajamas. He looked a bit worn out, though he seemed less injured. 

Ren put Galatea down and let her toddle over to her brother. They then sat together as Ares did his best to explain to Galatea how many numbers he had learned and how to pronounce big words, and how many pictures of foreign animals he looked at—

“How was your day?” Hux asked, somewhat bitterly. 

Ren shrugged. “Many are aching for you to return properly. But rest assured that I’m taking care of everything.”

“Mmh, you always say that,” Hux replied, waving Ren off. Ren’s eyebrow twitch.

“How’s your head?”

“Not any better with you around,” Hux said stubbornly. Ren smirked. Hux looked to the children. “Galatea, Ares. Go to your rooms.”

Even at their young age, they had learned to follow Hux’s orders. Ares got up, more gracefully than his sister, and grabbed Galatea’s little wrist and helped her along to his room where they could play in an endless amount of blocks and toy ships and stuffed aliens. 

Once the children were out of the main living area, Hux uncrossed his arms and gave Ren a displeased stare.

“Why are you so cranky?” Ren asked, brushing past Hux to get into their bedroom. 

“I’m not,” Hux insisted. Ren could smell his lie a mile away. 

“Yes, you are.” Ren threw off the layers of his clothing until he was in his undershirt. Even without the bulk of his layers, the man’s body was still intimidating. The man sat down on their bed, watching every twitch of Hux's body

“Well, maybe I’m just peeved that we haven’t found who wanted to buy our son. Just a possibility.” The bite of Hux’s sarcasm made Ren roll his eyes despite the severity of the situation.

“We will.” 

“Or really? Because I’m pretty sure your little lady Knight of Ren put a blaster bolt right through our prime suspect,” Hux said bitterly. 

He walked past Ren and Ren grabbed him and pulled the man into his lap. Hux groaned in annoyance and struggled for a second, then caved in and let Ren hold him. 

“She was just making sure the plan didn’t fall through,” Ren said with amazing patience. It only irritated Hux more that Ren was the one handling this better emotionally.

“She wanted to make sure or you did? Honestly, Kylo,” Hux huffed.

“I just wanted to see you and the kids again as soon as possible.” 

Hux tensed up and began to shiver. Ren held him tighter and placed gentle kisses on the back of his neck. He was grateful to have the blessing to take in Hux’s scent once more. 

“You have a lot to explain to me then,” Hux said. Ren sighed as Hux pulled himself off of Ren’s lap. Ren slouched. 

“Such as?”

“Such as why you’re kriffing Knight of Ren Arla has been secretly tailing me since before Ares was born.”

Ren’s face remained stoic. “She hasn’t.”

“Don’t make me sound stupid, Kylo. She was there on Canto Bight and she was there on Batuu and she was the one to act as my buyer?” Hux knew he was outing himself by noting he saw her on Batuu. He also knew he was potentially outing Arla for not reporting to Ren that she saw him.

But Ren didn’t say anything about it. Hux thought it was odd that Ren didn’t make a fuss; he didn’t think it was in Ren’s nature to know and not care. Especially when Hux so blatantly disregarded his orders which led him to walk into a trap. 

“I don’t explicitly tell Arla to stalk you,” Ren insisted, though his wording made Hux raise an eyebrow, “I tell her to do whatever spying job I find suitable. She’s my rogue, the other Knights of Ren aren't as well suited for blending in easily.” 

“Ren, she’s a _kid_ ,” Hux emphasized, his mouth twisting.

Ren didn’t speak for a moment. “She’s an adult.” 

“You know what I mean. She might be wise but there’s no way she is equipped to deal with such heavy matters.” 

“What do you want me to say?” Ren asked, now also becoming irritated. 

“Are all your knights stalking me?” Hux miffed, though he didn’t get a response.

Hux thought back to Canto Bight. Arla Ren was youthful still, but now he was sure that the girl he saw gambling on Canto Bight must’ve been a teenager, or at the very least only an inch into her adulthood. 

He wondered what the other Knights were now. He wondered if Ren had plucked children up to mold them into his servants, or if the Force truly gave them some weird connection like a hive mind. He wondered if another Knight of Ren removed their mask if they’d all be youthful. 

He still didn’t know the exact history behind Ren’s group. The most he could conclude was that some had followed Ren when he became their Master and the same were there before him. 

Hux thought of Galatea and Ares, questioning if they were bound to this Knight of Ren lifestyle. 

“I want you to say that you have everything under control,” Hux said, frowning at his partner.

“I… do.” Hux had heard more confidence from a toddler. He rolled his eyes and laid back on the bed. 

Ren plopped down right next to him, his weight making the bed’s sheets fluff out. Hux ignored him, shutting his eyes and letting himself rest another moment. 

He thought he had been sleeping enough with his time off from working. His head felt fine now; bright lights didn’t hurt as much and he could handle staying awake longer.

Hux preferred staying awake for long hours, anyhow. When he tried to squeeze in some rest, he kept having nightmares about Ares being ripped from his arms and Galatea’s dirty face and the prospect of his fingers being removed.

There was a sniffling noise next to him. Hux opened his eyes, turned his head, and saw that Ren was crying.

The Grand Marshal sat up slowly. 

Ren had a face like none other; the mixture of his hard yet awkward features made him at times look like a furious, emotionless beast while at other times he’d appear like a broken, emotional child. 

Here, his sorrow was so obvious and appalling to observe that Hux imagined that the Force was weeping too. The sight of one of the darkest men in the galaxy crying was something worth its weight in kyber. 

Hux gingerly put a hand to Ren’s face and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Ren, like a touch-starved incubus, leaned into the skin of Hux’s soft had and kissed his palm, letting out an uneasy sigh. 

“Now, why are you crying, Supreme Leader?” Hux questioned gently. He would’ve been sarcastic— if he wasn’t a father of two. He almost found it amusing how he could apply his fathering skills to Ren.

But he didn’t feel like laughing at Ren right now. Hux, a man as magical as a rock, could feel the waves of Ren’s desperation roll into him, crashing and threatening to make him into pieces of sediment. 

“I could’ve… lost you,” Ren said, his voice choked up. His usual voice was already like blubber to Hux, always sounding like he had a frog stuck there except for when he was screaming. Ren’s near-sobbing tone made the man’s words even harder to discern. 

“I’m not that easy to kill,” Hux replied, kissing Ren on his cheek. “I’m here. Now, don’t get all sentimental on me.” 

Ren pulled Hux against his chest, hugging him tightly and burying his nose into the man’s ginger hair. Hux could feel Ren’s chest tremble. He laid still in Ren’s arms, knowing he was being used for comfort. 

“Armitage,” Ren said softly, breathing him in. Hux didn’t know why Ren liked to inhale him like snortable spice. 

“Yes?” 

“Don’t… don’t leave me, okay?” Ren said. 

Hux was a bit taken back by the request. He hadn’t thought about leaving Ren at all over the last two or so years. Then again, it did take two years for them to create a healthier relationship. 

“I don’t plan on it,” Hux admitted. He tried to sit up, but Ren kept him in his grip. 

Hux sighed, half-amused by Ren’s neediness, and kissed him on the lips. Ren flinched, as Hux usually wasn’t the one to go out of his way to initiate the romance, but Ren easily let their lips join and stay together. 

Ren carefully flipped Hux over onto his back, holding the man as he did so. Hux wrapped his legs around the larger man for more grip, letting himself absorb Ren’s growing heat. 

When they stopped their feverish kissing, Hux looked up into Ren’s eyes. There was still a twinkle of sorrow in them, but Ren always had a pained look hiding in the light of his eyes. Ren pushed back some hair away from Hux’s forehead. He liked Hux without his gel and hair product; his hair had become extra fluffy from his restful time off. 

“Don’t blame yourself too much,” Hux told him, “I rather you continue retaining your strength. We have much to accomplish still.” 

“My plans to invade Naboo are still on the table,” Ren said. While Hux agreed to the invasion, he didn’t always seem that motivated to do so. Ren didn’t know why. “I do have to go to Mustafar with my knights soon.” 

“And what’s on Mustafar? That planet will boil you alive. And I rather keep looking at this lovely face of yours.”

Ren once would’ve thought Hux was taunting him, but Hux traces a finger down Ren’s scar, cementing his admiration. Ren felt his face warm, thinking about the black kyber he’d make into a wedding ring. 

“Strength. Unity,” Ren said, his eyes wandering downward. 

“More like that Darth Vader castle,” Hux snorted. Ren shot him a glare, but Hux merely chuckled. “I’m just teasing, my dear.” 

“It’s still strange hearing your pet names, Armitage.” 

“Mmh. Well, it’s strange being called Armitage by the name who was supposed to be my rival.” Ren could see Hux’s small smirk and couldn’t help but give a little grin back. 

Giddy, Ren dived down to kiss Hux once again, more enthusiastic than before. There was always something special about reminiscing on their past, the parts where Ren could turn away from him throwing Hux against a wall (and he’d repent for that again and again). 

How’d they bicker and try to one-up each other was still concurrent even in their romantic life, seeing that they were co-leading a massive regime, but Ren liked to think about where he somehow went _right_ that he earned Hux. Surely, with all his fuck-ups, Hux should’ve left. But Hux was the only man stubborn enough, brave enough, and perhaps even driven by his impulsiveness, to willingly challenge Ren— and then let the man bed him. 

Ren didn’t often think about their first time. It didn’t matter to him. He and Hux had been arguing in private and somehow a breakout fight turned to sexual frustration being released. It wasn’t until later did Ren know he was Hux’s first. It was a ridiculous thought, but Ren felt proud that he was the only one who could bring Hux into his full character.

And things were no different now. Ren credited himself with being the only one to make Hux submit to impulse, to desire, to love—

Hux’s waist was too tiny in Ren’s monstrous hands. Ren had pushed Hux’s silk shirt up to his chest just so he could look at the milky skin beneath and hold it. While Hux’s face was still mildly bruised, though it was now easy to hide, his stomach and hips remained clean. 

Ren may have somehow envied Hux for his perfections, but his jealousies were drowned out by Hux’s thoughts. Hux was attracted to Ren’s strong body and his scars. 

“You aren’t ruining my silk again,” Hux criticized, sneering. 

Ren groaned and let himself off Hux. The Grand Marshal got off the bed and unbuttoned his sleep top and shrugged it off. Ren tilted his head, smiling at the Grand Marshal.

“Are you stripping for me?” Ren teased. 

“Well, how else am I going to save myself from your violent destruction of my property?” Hux snapped back. He even had the audacity to fold his shirt while Ren was waiting on the bed, particularly wriggling with lust. 

“I am the Supreme Leader, I can destroy anything I want. Including your tight little ass.”

Hux threw the folded shirt into Ren’s face, making the man laugh. 

Ren had a lovely laugh, though still unnerving since it came from his mouth, and it had the power to make Hux’s anger consign to oblivion. 

Hux hated when others had any sort of power over him, even if it was the father of his children. But it didn’t stop Hux from submitting to Ren with his body. 

Ren’s momentary loss of Hux in his life made the sex all the better; Ren’s protectiveness and possessiveness made it so the few things he valued were not to be taken away. Otherwise, Ren wouldn’t stop himself from letting out his most basic impulses. 

Ren had thrown Hux’s pants and underwear on the floor once he had gotten Hux under him once more. The thought of almost losing Hux made him want to cherish him more; he wanted to feel him. He wouldn’t allow for that lustful, inspired feeling to go away.

He pounded into Hux relentlessly, drinking in the feeling of the hotness of Hux’s insides and the rare noise of Hux’s pleasured groans. He felt whole, their limbs tangling into one and their souls connecting through such a private act. 

Ren couldn’t look away from Hux’s moaning, parted lips and his wet, sweaty hair. When the man blushed, he blushed just about everywhere. Red was such a beautiful color on Hux, and its beauty was most noticeable as it spread across Hux’s face and almost seemed to blend into his hair. 

The sound of Ren slapping against Hux’s skin echoed through the room; the pace rhythmic and euphoric. Ren liked the twinges of pain with the pleasure, he liked feeling the power that came with holding Hux and reducing the man into a mess of sweat and tears. 

This was something he couldn’t lose. He bet many men would die for the chance to just see Hux submit to somehow, and Ren wouldn’t give anyone that gratification. 

“Kylo!” Hux cried out, needing more and more and more. 

It was a sweet symphony of noise. Ren was a toe-curler and a music maker, and he felt empowered by it. Hux didn’t care for how he sounded inside the soundproofed walls, he knew this was sacred between him and Ren. 

And it only motivated Ren more to hold Hux as close as he could. 

The galaxy would bleed so Ren could keep Hux in his corner and his bed. 

Hux was shaking when they were finished, wrapped around Ren tightly like he was afraid of collapsing. Ren held him back, still inside the man as they both came down from their highs. 

Ren kissed Hux’s shoulders. He’d wait an eternity for Hux to relax, to feel completely safe in his arms.

But he wasn’t sure how long he could wait to find his Grand Marshal a ring and make his family a new home on Naboo.

Not that Ren had told that to Hux yet. 

///

“Supreme Leader, it isn’t wise to invade Naboo so soon,” a senior officer said. 

Ren would’ve thrown him against the wall if Hux wasn’t agreeing.

Hux’s stance on Naboo had changed over a few days, insisting they should continue attempting diplomatic missions and that they needed time to relax after Coruscant. 

Ren didn’t want to settle for Coruscant though, he wanted to grab the finery of Naboo for himself and his family. 

“What have the recent messages from our diplomat been saying?” Hux asked calmly, ignoring how Ren was bubbling with rage next to him. 

“Minister Lora says the current Queen is unwilling to give up Naboo. She is against the Order’s message, but it’s known that there are still imperial sympathizers on the planet,” the officer said.

“Well, we aren’t _imperials_ though, are we?” Hux shot back with a careful glare. The senior officer folded his hands and squirmed in his seat.

“The Queen isn’t as formidable as past ones though, Grand Marshal. Her people see a weakness in her because of her extremely neutral stances,” someone else pointed out. 

“This chatter will get us nowhere,” Ren said firmly, standing up from his seat. “Increase methods to convince the Queen to give up her rule, or we will invade.” 

“Ren—” Hux tried to say but was shut up. 

“Meeting adjourned,” he said, voice rising. Everyone took it as a shift opportunity to leave before Ren truly was enraged. 

_Poor Hux_ , Ren heard through the Force, but he couldn’t tell what officer thought that. He snarled and plopped down angrily into his seat, leaning back. 

Hux frowned at him. 

“Do you want things to be done efficiently or at your own leisure, Supreme Leader?” Hux asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“They can be down both ways. You all are taking up time.” 

“No, we are accounting for our resources and what is the best approach. Honestly, Ren, I know you have some connection to Naboo but it won’t kill us to wait awhile in capturing it.” 

In a quick movement, Ren turned around sharply and backed Hux up against a wall, his hands on either side of the man’s head. Hux’s face went red, finding the movement strange and blasphemous. Ren’s eyes were fierce, and he made a low sound in his throat. 

“A bit of haste won’t kill us either, I only want to show you my raw power,” Ren said in almost a purr. Hux put his hand to Ren’s plush lips to prevent Ren from coming any closer. 

“You’re such a pervert!” Hux hissed, making Ren chuckle. He kissed Hux on the pads of his fingertips. Hux groaned and pulled his hand away, ducking below Ren’s arm to escape the little box he trapped Hux in. 

“At the very least, allow me to go take my trip to Mustafar.”

Hux crossed his arms stubbornly and turned his nose up. “And why would you need _my_ permission, Supreme Leader?” Hux’s sharp use of Ren’s title only further underlined his agitation. Ren wished Hux would stop being so petty; he had already rescued Hux and his children, what else could he do

“Because,” Ren said softly, forcing Hux’s hands into his and squeezing them, “I care about you above all else. Our foundation is built on mutual assurance, is it not? There is strength on that planet, but it is dangerous. So I want to hear you say you will allow me to go.” 

Hux hated Ren’s eyes. One look into them could make Hux’s heart swoon helplessly like a crushing schoolgirl. The man’s eyes revealed too much. And he passed those eyes down to Galatea too, who was using it to her advantage. The Skywalker traits were all cursed traits to Hux. They had too much power. 

“Must you always leave me with the children? I care about them, of course, but I will not play housewife,” Hux criticized. He couldn’t draw his hands out of Kylo’s; the man’s grip was too tight. But still loving. 

“I doubt any housewife has a body count like yours or looks after legions of ships, Grand Marshal.” Hux can’t disagree with him there, but he knows Ren is flattering him.

Still, he enjoyed it. 

“You are complete and utter trouble. I hate you.” 

“I love you too.” Ren kissed his Grand Marshal’s hands and added a quick: “baby” with a wink.

“Don’t fucking call me baby! You know I hate that!” Hux chastised, tugging his hands away. Ren merely chuckled. 

“I have another meeting to attend to, see you soon, _sweetie_ ,” Ren said in a teasing tone, letting himself out of the room.

Hux couldn’t believe he was committed to such an appalling man. Ren may have been a Skywalker by blood, but he was a beast by design, made by the coarsest materials in the galaxy. The man couldn’t be deterred. Hux should’ve hated him for his persistence. 

Yet everything Ren did felt like a plea for Hux to notice him still. It made Hux’s heart thump. Hux blamed it on being fatherly; he had become far too patient with Ren’s antics. 

Still, he wondered what was on Mustafar that Ren was so interested in. Some Force thing, no doubt, but Hux didn’t think any prophecy or rare artifact was worth the blistering heat. 

Mustafar would make an interesting place to hide things, given its horrid lava and dangerous flying zones. Hux pushed the thought away; any planet related to Skywalkers was already cursed. 

Hux wondered why Ren was trying to get close to the places of the family he had already rejected. Somehow, it put a ping of insecurity in Hux’s heart.

He shook his head. He wouldn’t himself doubt their strange relationship. Instead, Hux proudly walked off to his next meeting while checking up on updates on his children.

There was a notification on his holopad that Galatea had thrown a tantrum and flung blocks across the room when Ares tried to build a tower without her help. Ah, wonderful. 

///

“What on Mu-fa-fa?” Galatea asked Ren, her sippy cup half in her mouth. Ren hid his smile at his daughter’s poor pronunciation of Mustafar. 

“Force stuff. And lava,” Ren said, holding Galatea in his lap as he looked at his datapad. Galatea pointed around the fiery image of the planet that was displayed, making little noises to signify her interest. 

She looked up at her daddy. “I come?” 

“No. You’ll stay here with your father.” 

Galatea let out an exasperated whine and tossed her head back dramatically. He chucked, the rumble in his chest enticing his daughter to hug him tightly. 

Ren held her closely and smelt her white hair. She still had a baby powder smell to her, but he was getting a whiff of jogan fruit from her. Lately, she had been stuffing her face with that sweet purple fruit in any way she could: gummies, cakes, small pieces, juices. Hux had told him to stop importing excess of it and making her fat, but Ren couldn’t help but spoil the little face wrapped in white curls.

The little girl chucked her empty sippy cup on the couch, in which Ren quickly used the Force to prevent any single drop from spilling onto Hux’s couch. He floated the cup onto the table and sighed. He knew Galatea too well already; she had no shame in ruining things she didn’t consider hers. 

“Why leave?” She asked, pouting. “Daddy!” 

“I have work. It’s for you and your brother and your father. Don’t you wanna rule the universe one day?” He asked her sincerely. She stared at him inquisitively, tilting her head against his cheek. 

Galatea flipped around and looked back at the datapad. Ren had switched to an image of a map of the charter territories of the New Order. 

The name New Order was originally used for the First Order’s early years, though Hux wanted to reclaim it with a new meaning. The New Order was the freshest version of government for the galaxy, the rebirth of a place beautiful enough for Galatea and Ares to travel around. 

“Princess?” Galatea asked her pronunciation still rudimentary. Ren chuckled.

“Yes, you’ll be a princess. Maybe you already are.” Galatea let out a shrill giggle, throwing herself onto the couch and rolling around. 

Yes, Ren loved Ares very much, but there was something particularly special about Galatea. She was cheery about everything in life and fearless. Ares often stuck himself behind Hux’s legs. They didn’t have favorites per se, but Galatea was truly Ren’s little girl. 

The only unfortunate thing was he could see some of his _other_ family in her face. She was uniquely her own, but he knew where some of her girlish features stemmed from. At the very least, Galatea carried them much better. 

Hux entered their chambers a few minutes later with Ares in his hand. Ares threw off his shoes and ran over to Ren, throwing himself on his dad. Ren caught him with a grunt; domesticity was a strange yet pleasant lifestyle for him. But it was only complete because he also could still be the Supreme Leader. 

Ares had been slowly introduced to life outside the family chambers, beginning to take some of his tutoring classes on another part of the ship. They had made a special space just for Ares, and soon Galatea, to do some studies. Hux also was planning to allow Ares access to certain simulators when he was older, teaching him some survival skills, technical skills, and— yes— some piloting skills if Ren so chose to keep the family tradition. 

Ares was already mopping about being kicked out of the nursery to “go to school.” He threw a rather loud and unrelenting fit about his first time going to his on-ship classroom, clinging to Hux for an hour and sobbing. 

Galatea just about begged to “go to school,” unlike her brother and threw a fit when she couldn’t. As usual, what calmed her down was Ren’s embrace and a sippy cup in her mouth. 

“What are you doing?” Hux asked Ren surrounded by the children. 

“Mu-fa-fa!” Galatea screeched in response. Hux sighed and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. Ares had what Hux considered a bad habit of scrunching up all of Hux’s clothes with his tight grip. 

Hux looked to Ren for a translation. “Mustafar,” he clarified. 

The Grand Marshal scowled and sauntered over to the kitchenette as if he wanted Ren to notice his stiff posture. Ren hated Hux’s pettiness, ignoring him and playing with his kids.

It gave Ren a strange gratification every time his kids ran to him or got excited over him while Hux was in the room. He always wanted to point out the fact that his absence didn’t deter his children from loving him, though upon second thought it didn’t seem like a thing to brag about.

“When are you leaving for this trip?”

“In about two days. With all my Knights.” Hux huffed loudly and came back over with a cup of caf. He sipped it quietly and watched Ren hold their children. They babbled incoherently at each other. Hux wondered if they had their own special language. 

“I thought you weren’t going to let me out of your sight,” Hux said. 

“I wouldn’t, but at least you’ll be here. I promise to you, it’s for a good reason,” Ren tried to assure, though he lacked his usual confidence. 

He could see the uncertainty in Hux’s eyes. The man was trying to hide it and act like he usually did, confident about his strength, but they both knew they had come to need one another desperately. Ren needed Hux next to him at night, Hux needed Ren to show that he hadn’t been wrong in his choice of partner. Ren needed Hux because Hux were all he wanted. Hux needed Ren because he never had another like him. And they both needed each other so their children could prosper.

“It better be, Kylo. If you get kidnapped I’m not coming to save you.” Ren couldn’t tell if he was joking.

“That’s no way to talk to your Supreme Leader, Grand Marshal Hux,” Ren teased. He tried to pull himself off of his seat but Ares and Galatea both whined and demanded Ren to lay back again so they could sit against him. Ren sighed and let himself stay still.

“My Supreme Leader looks a little tied down.” 

“I don’t mind.” 

“I don’t understand you, Ren.” 

“Isn’t that what you like about me?”

“No,” Hux said firmly, “it’s what drives me mad.” 

But Ren got the feeling, despite it all, Hux loved this madness. The man hated things he couldn’t control, but there was a strange beauty in loving something messy.

Even if they wanted to, they probably couldn’t find anything anymore stable. Ren was fine with that though. He was fine with two rowdy children and a partner who tried to match him in his strength. 

He loved it so much he kept dreaming about landing on Mustafar and finding that black kyber and giving it to Hux, the least force sensitive man to live. 

That was a power to Ren. He could take one of the most powerful kyber crystals and instead of using it, he would give it off to be a display of his affections. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wth is family man Kylo Ren. Can you actually imagine? I try my best to interpret their personalities in a way that is now developed and makes sense to their characters. So here's your fluff! Please everyone, stop crying! I know I like to write angst!
> 
> Thank u to everyone who continues to support me! 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	11. Defy the Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is named after Claudia Gray's book (she has written some official Star Wars books)! I hope everyone is doing well! I love that there is still a kylux community even though the movies are done. I hope y'all stick around for a long time. 
> 
> Please leave a comment or a kudos!
> 
> CW: violence 
> 
> Also, I would love to have more mutuals on twitter so you can follow me [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)

Ren knew Hux had nightmares about his time on Ganja II, but they both agreed to not talk about it unless Hux wanted to. Ren wanted to see into Hux’s mind and find out what he worried about most, but he didn’t. 

The night before Ren left for Mustafar, he couldn’t stop kissing Hux. Hux put up with it at first but then squeezed Ren on his nose, questioning him about his insatiable appetite for his body. Ren knew Hux would never understand the connection he felt to him, no matter how dysfunctional it was, but he wished Hux saw the obviousness of it all. He was excited to get the ring, and this excitement translated through him kissing Hux with vigor. 

That and Ren thought Hux had the most wonderful lips. 

The morning he was leaving, Galatea was in a bitter mood. Ares was more excited for his father to go on an adventure, but Galatea pouted, cried, and threw tantrums since the early hours of the morning cycle. 

“What’s wrong?” Ren asked her, though she just threw her sippy cup at him. Ren simply uses the Force to stop it from spilling everywhere. Hux cracked a grin. 

“She understands how I feel,” Hux joked, tying Ares’ shoes to get him ready for his ‘school day.’ Ares stood up straight and tall in his black uniform, trying to appear sophisticated like Hux. 

“She’s not usually angry.” 

“She’s a baby, Ren. She feels things in large proportions. She can sense you are heading off. Take it as a compliment.” Hux tried to smooth out Ares’s fluffy hair with his hand but the boy’s golden curls happily stuck out at different angles. “Whose awful genes gave him this messy hair?”

It was a rhetorical question. Ren frowned at Hux, but the ginger pretended not to notice. 

“Come see me off.”

“I am. I have to anyway, as your Grand Marshal.”

“Take the children too.”

“You know I don’t like when people stare at them,” Hux said, turning his head toward Ren and narrowing his eyes. 

“They’ll all be staring at me. Shouldn’t the children get used to big crowds anyway?” 

Hux didn’t reply, fiddling with a button on Ares’s coat. Ares squirmed and Hux withdrew his hands, realizing that he was distracting him. 

Ren knew Hux’s reluctance to let the children out into the galaxy was a real and understandable feeling, but Ren also likes the idea of flashing off his children like symbols of his victory and strength. His children were his, and nobody should ever touch them. And Hux would be his. He just needed a little more time. 

Ren picked up Galatea off the couch and shoved her into Hux’s arms, forcing him to redirect his attention. Galatea whimpered at being forced out of her comfortable spot but clung onto her papa anyhow, her little pale fingers digging into the front of Hux’s coat and ruining its ironed, pristine shape. 

Her white hair was tied into two little buns that sat on the top of her head and she was dressed in a black dress. Ren wondered if his children would get sick of black. He liked the color, but he wondered if dressing in many colors made a difference to children. 

“You look nice today,” Ren offered up to Hux. Hux eyed Ren up and down, seemingly unimpressed. 

“Your outfit is appropriate for your mission.” 

“Force help us if Galatea or Ares has your… wit,” Ren said. He tried to look into Galatea’s eyes but she shoved her face into Hux’s neck. Ren tried not to take it personally because toddlers were unpredictable, but it still hurt a bit. 

They went off to the launch bay where Ren’s shuttle was waiting. His Knights of Ren were already on the ship, out of sight to the commanders, and troopers were all lined up to see their leader off. Usually, Ren wouldn’t agree with these large gatherings of people seeing him off but he did it to appease Hux who insisted on some sort of formality. Ren wondered if Hux just wanted him to stop leaving unannounced. 

The large black shuttle’s dock was down and ready for Ren to board. He wouldn’t bring any stormtroopers on his mission. He didn’t particularly worry about the stormtroopers, but he didn’t see a point in bringing them somewhere so personal where they’d most likely die. Mustafar was a special place to Ren. 

People saluted as Ren strode by with Hux and the children in tow. He would’ve made his strides longer if Ares could walk any faster. Hux’s arms only had room for one baby to carry. 

Captain Mitaka was there to see them off near the end of the line with General Engell on the opposite side. Hux and Ren each had opposite opinions of the two: Mitaka was liked by Hux but he found Engell to be full of herself. Ren trusted General Engell but found Mitaka irritating, for all his worth. 

Though Mitaka was well trusted in his ranks, Ren didn’t know why he was at the end of the line like he had the greatest importance. He looked at Mitaka’s strangely pink cheeks then to General Engell’s expressionless face.

Ren put his helmet on his head, the noise of it fitting into place echoing. 

“I trust everything will stay in-line while I’m gone?” he said, his vocoder giving his voice a more threatening edge. 

“Yes sir,” Mitaka and Engell managed to say at the same time. 

Ren spun around and looked at Hux, Galatea, and Ares. 

“And I trust you to stay safe here?” Ren said rhetorically. 

“I have no reason to put myself in danger. You should worry about yourself,” Hux said, his nose raising a little as if to be defiant. Galatea still didn’t look at him. 

Ren bent down and put a hand on top of Ares’s head. Ares couldn’t see it, but Ren was smiling at his son.

“Look after your father and sister.” Ares’s eyes lit up and he nodded.

Ren wanted to kiss Hux goodbye, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t be allowed to anyway with all the witnesses. Still, Ren imagined how he’d be allowed to kiss Hux once they got married. It was a warming thought, a thought worth fighting for. 

With a simple wave, Ren entered his ship and let the door whizz close behind him. He knew when he returned, he’d be a fuller, greater man. 

///

Onboard the shuttle the Knights of Ren sat in a circular room with seats on all sides. Their shuttle was being driven by advanced droids, though they all were capable of taking over the controls. The Knights were particularly fond of only trusting themselves; being selfish meant nobody could disappoint you. 

Vio Ren sat sharpening her blade, the sound obnoxious yet nobody would say anything about it. Vision twiddled with his gun, Arla lulled her head back with her scythe across her lap, and Gyro and Nykita were engaged with a game of sabacc. 

They didn’t care to address Kylo unless they needed to. Ren didn’t mind the silence, it was nice to be among those who understood him rather than having to deal with the constant chatter and agitation of meetings with Generals, negotiations, stormtroopers, and so on. 

He stared at Arla specifically, thinking about what Hux said about being stalked by her. While he wasn’t lying that he didn’t exactly tell Arla or the other Knights to stalk Hux, he certainly did suggest that they watch over Hux and the kids when they could. It was just a coincidence that Hux saw her so much. He thought of asking another Knight to take up her usual spying jobs for a while, but he knew they couldn’t match how well she blended into a room. 

“Arla,” he said. She didn’t look up but she hummed in acknowledgment. “After this trip, you’ll be laying low for a bit.” 

Her head snapped up. “What?” Her vocoder also made her voice deeper and darker, though her natural voice tended to have a deeper pitch to it than most women he knew. 

“After this trip, you won’t go out on missions for a while,” Ren said more firmly. Arla clutched her scythe. Her head snapped to the side at hearing a slight snort from Gyro Ren. 

“Am I being punished for something?” 

“No, but I think enough people have seen your face.” He knew Arla didn’t believe that explanation, but she merely huffed and agreed with her Master. 

“Troublemaker,” Gyro taunted. Arla used the Force to pull all his sabacc cards out of his hands. 

“We were playing,” Nykita said calmly, though she didn’t appear to care that much. 

Arla slouched against her seat but decided to stay quiet. He didn’t have the patience for her whining anyhow; Ren was focused on the black kyber that was supposedly hidden in Vader’s castle. A few years ago, Ren would’ve been giddier to see the fortress of Darth Vader, but now he felt more grounded and with purpose. He was his own man with his own family. 

“Vision, give me a report on Mustafar,” Ren instructed the gun-slinging Knight. The man immediately changed his focus from his gun to his master, ready to be a library of information. 

“Mustafar is home to Darth Vader’s sanctum, where a Sith temple once stood. The fortress is the final resting place for many victims of the Great Jedi Purge. The planet has since slowly begun to heal from its past traumas and many cultists are said to roam the planet, looking to tap into Sith powers,” Vision explained professionally and a bit robotically. 

“How many cultists?” Ren questioned. He already knew some of the intel from the planet, but it always helped to let the Knight he stuffed with the most information relay everything to him. 

“Unknown. Enough to cause trouble. Certain parts of the planet have grown ashy tree-like flora, though it’s still difficult for the plants to grow.”

“Why are the cultists trying to grow the plants?” 

“Mustafar used to have the Bright Star on it, an artifact that made the planet lush and lovely,” Arla chimed in. Vision pouted at Arla’s intrusion. Despite his annoyance, Ren let the younger Knight of Ren relay her own intelligence. “The artifact was stolen by Lady Corvax in an attempt to save her husband from death but, obviously, she failed and destroyed Mustafar.” 

“Where’d you learn that?” Vision asked jealously. 

“I’m educated. And, unlike you, I _was_ actually allowed to go socialize with the outside world,” Arla said bitterly. “I hear that the Bright Star was under Vader’s fortress.”

“I’ll fetch it for you, Master!” Vision quickly offered, always desiring to please his Master. Ren groaned.

“Enough bickering. I’m not here for the Bright Star. I’m here for the black kyber, though I will not penalize you for taking anything useful. Nothing dangerous though, I will not have any sith artifacts bothering my children in their early age,” Ren scolded. They both quieted; Arla crossed her arms. 

“It would be useless to go after the Bright Star anyway. I heard it was destroyed. That’s why I said _was_. There’s a rumor that Vader tried to use it to bring Padme Amidala back to life.” 

Ren didn’t know why, but Arla’s tone struck a nerve with him. He stuck his hand out and she straightened her neck defiantly. 

“You will stop being a smartass or you won’t have a tongue. Don’t give me useless information,” Ren told her. She sighed loudly and he let his hand down, spinning around.

Her words still stuck with him though. She tempted him with a prospect of eternal life or bringing someone back, and she promptly took that hope away. He wondered what her problem was for her to give him a strange desire to find the Bright Star, especially if it didn’t exist anymore. Arla was a peculiar little temptress, or maybe she was just pissed he put her on a leash. 

He started to think about death after that, silently sitting amongst his equally quiet Knights. Hux could’ve died on Ganja II. Ares and Galatea could’ve died. Hell, he could’ve died if he slipped up in any way, no matter how invincible he felt. He’d throw himself on the line for his kids— but he knew that they needed him. 

Hux had many close runs in with death, and Ren began to think that his orbit around Hux’s life was a cause of that. It would’ve been nice to have something to protect Hux further, to reassure his safety. He could get stronger, find the secrets of the dark side that lingered on Mustafar. 

But no, he told himself, he couldn’t risk his sanity for unknown lost treasure. Mustafar would mentally drain all of them, the last thing he needed was to purposefully put himself into danger. He wanted to unlock more of the powers of the dark side, but that came with a big risk. And it wasn’t a risk he was ready to take yet. 

He was ready to risk everything for Hux though. He would cement his relationship with Hux, it’s all he wanted. It’s all he needed. He never felt more strong, successful, and superior with Hux in his corner. 

The Master of the Knights of Ren sat down and made himself comfortable, getting lost in deep thought about getting married and Darth Vader’s demise. 

///

Ren fell asleep at some point on their journey to Mustafar, not that anyone could tell. With a mask and a full body of black clothes, his upright posture gave nothing away from his state of consciousness. 

He dreamt about Hux sitting in a field with Ares in his arms, though Galatea wasn’t anywhere to be found. When Ren tried to approach them, Hux didn’t acknowledge him and hummed a tune Ren didn’t recognize. Ren looked out to see the ocean in the distance. In the ocean was an unbelievable sight: pieces of the Death Star laying in the ocean. 

“Hux,” Ren tried to say to him, but Hux didn’t notice him there. Instead, it began to rain and Hux’s skin became wet and his hair flattened against his face, but he still wouldn’t move from his spot.

Thunder rumbled in his dream and the landscape became dark and dreary. The ocean rocked violently against the Death Star fragments, and Hux just watched and rocked his baby. 

Lightning struck and suddenly a flash of red was in front of him. He looked up to see someone holding his lightsaber in the rain. It looked like a woman. It looked like Rey. 

She raised her hands as if she was going to impale Hux, who calmly sat in place. When Ren reached out, he opened his mouth to yell and—

He woke up with the rumble of the shuttle. From what he could tell, nobody noticed he had been dreaming. He wondered if it was a warning from the Force. Ares was too small in his dream for it to be the future, though it could’ve just been pieces of the past and future molded together. 

Rey was still a problem. He hadn’t told Hux about Rey seeing Ares; he knew it would unnecessarily stress the man out. He needed Hux to relax if he was going to propose marriage. Rey always seemed to be a factor in his demise, whatever that demise may be.

It made complete sense though. They were opposites, they were meant to balance each other out by being enemies. But one of them would have to lose so the other could prosper. A balanced scale won’t do much for either of them if the other wants to make their side higher. Right now, Ren had a complete advantage, but he knew not to be complacent. 

“Master, we’re here,” Vio Ren said in her slow speech. 

He took in a deep breath and stood up. No turning back now. All the Knights readied their weapons, knowing that the minute they landed there’d be a fight.

Vision Ren didn’t tell them about the cultists for anything, the cultists were a vicious group set on claiming Mustafar for themselves. They wanted to regenerate the land, sure, but they also wanted to keep its dark side secrets for themselves. 

He was sure he could handle a few cultists, but he was impatient. He wanted the black kyber. He wanted to see Vader’s fortress. 

“Snoke took a piece of black obsidian from the fortress. I wonder what he was there for,” Arla muttered to Ren. Ren wondered why she was asking such things. 

“A prize.” He rather not talk about his former Master. 

“Right.” 

Their ship docked as close as it could to Vader’s fortress, but they still had to take a hike there through the hot air of Mustafar. Their helmets would all circulate cooler, fresher air for them and the air was fairly breathable, but the planet was nonetheless uncomfortable once they all stepped outside the ship.

The fortress of Darth Vader sat in the middle of the rocky, hot terrain like a giant, rectangular shadow. The massive monolith looked pristine despite its many years abandoned and left for ruin. It still had a slight glow in its window-like structures from the lava lighting it from within. 

The land itself was smoky, yet the smoke settled like a fog. The fortress was the only thing able to peek beyond the darkness. 

The Knights of Ren all stared at the fortress in the distance, already sensing how it practically vibrated with energy from the dark side. 

“Walking, are we?” Vio asked, trying not to sound lazy. 

“No, we’ll take speeders designed for the hot terrain. There’s three attached to our shuttle. Arla get on the back with me,” he instructed. 

The shuttle was designed by the order to be bulky so speeders could be hidden in a bottom compartment on the ship. Ren got on a sleek black and white speeder, obviously made for him, and Arla jumped on the back with him. 

The rest of the Knights followed as Ren took off. The speeder hovered an inch or so more off the ground than regular speeders would, as it would be cooler the higher off the ground they were. It helped with the terrain as well so they wouldn’t scrape against rocks or get too close to lava. 

Arla held her hands around Ren’s waist, giving him a slight squeeze. 

“ _Are you mad at me?_ ” she asked him through the Force like a scolded child. 

“ _I would be less irritated if you didn’t always run your mouth and piss Hux off,_ ” Ren replied to her. Hux had taught him a few things about not immediately snapping at people in response to their woes, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. 

“ _I was just looking out for him. I didn’t mean to kill your prime suspect._ ” Her message sounded genuine in his head. He was significantly more patient with her than he was with the other knights, though he didn’t know why. He told himself it was because she was younger and therefore more prone to stupid mistakes. 

He didn’t want to think he pitied her or cared about her. He had enough to care about. Too much caring tended to lead to too much disappointment. 

_“I worry about him_ ,” Arla said in the Force. Even in his head, her voice seemed small and more gentle than usual. 

“ _Who?_ ”

“ _Do I have to say it?_ ”

“ _Why do you worry about Hux?_ ” Ren asked although she didn’t respond. He left it at that, but her odd behavior put him on edge. He didn’t know if she wasn’t telling him something, or if he was just not seeing the obvious. 

They sped by a little creature in brown robes and a masked face. His headgear made him look a bit like an overgrown mushroom. He pointed at them and yelled in a strange language. Vision shot him dead as he and Gyro passed by. 

They began to notice more and more of the men around, alerting each other to the presence of infiltrators. Ren gripped the speeder and swerved when the first blaster shot rang. It missed them, but more began to rain down on them from the curves of the land where the cultists were hiding in.

The Knights of Ren expertly swerved to avoid being fired at while Vision Ren did his best to hit as many targets as possible. Even as skilled as he was, it was difficult given the terrain and the speed they were traveling. 

The Knights of Ren had to abruptly stop their travels when too many cultists began crowding the area. The safest route to Vader’s Fortress was overtaken by the cultists who, seemingly, had set up some camps as they also tried traveling to the fortress. There were also some small stick-like structures sticking from the ground. Ren figured they were the beginnings of trees that the cultists were planting in an attempt to bring Mustafar back to a more earthy state.

The cultists seemed panicked but readied themselves with weapons. They didn’t want the Knights to pass. Ren didn’t want these cultists to deter him, and he certainly didn’t want them taking any treasure that was rightfully his. He had Vader’s blood in him. He was chosen by the dark side to rule. 

Ren hopped off the speeder and put his lightsaber in his gloved hand. The other Knights efficiently readied themselves with their weapons: Arla with her scythe, Nykita with her ax, Gyro with his hammer, Vision with his blaster, and Vio with her sword. They were a vision of death together. Their black clothes even blended into the black ground made of ash of Mustafar’s surface. 

Ren rolled his neck. He realized he still wasn’t satisfied with the bloodshed on Ganja II. He wanted more. He needed to drink the life force out of all of these fools. He needed to feel some relief from the thought of how Hux and his children had been endangered. 

Like a feral animal, Ren began to tear through the cultists with his saber.

Some cultists were not foolish enough to approach him first, but Ren went after them anyway. He sprung through the air like he was rabbit-footed, moving from person to person to rip through them with his lightsaber and with the Force. One cultist, he grabbed he split in half by cutting through their gut. Another he ripped their limb off by beginning to slice through them and using mere strength to finish the detachment. 

He could feel the ash and dirt cover him and, almost humorously, he thought about how Hux wouldn’t let him into their chambers with dirty shoes. 

Gyro Ren appeared next to him, swinging his club around and using the kinetic energy it generated to smash in skulls or detach parts of their spines. The Knight’s weapons caused more blood then Ren’s saber. Only Arla Ren used a lightsaber, for reasons Kylo didn’t share with the other Knights, but with her master around she did not dare to use her lightsaber. It would be disrespectful; nobody was allowed to even appear like they were one-upping Kylo. 

The slaughter was unimaginable. There were more cultists than he thought there’d be, but Ren and the Knights made good work of picking them off. Ren could even spot Nykita Ren crushing their growing flora under her foot. Ren found it to be a bit petty and strange but didn’t care enough to point it out. 

Ren drove his lightsaber through the gut of one of the cultists. It let out a few gasping last words in a language Ren couldn’t understand, yet he felt a chill go down his spine. He ignored it but wondered why he felt suddenly rattled. 

By the end of their slaughter, the Knights were panting and covered in soot and blood. Behind them was a sea of dead bodies, left to be one day burned by Mustafar’s lava or fry in its air. The whole place looked like the aftermath of a battlefield; it seemed unimaginable that six people had done it. 

The fortress was close enough that they chose to leave the speeders behind and walk the rest of the distance. Ren led them to Vader’s Castle. His heart was pounding in his chest but not from the exercise of killing people he just endured. He didn’t know if he was anxious or excited to finally step foot in the fortress that was infamous in his bloodline.

After this and Naboo, Ren decided he’d no longer leverage or use his bloodline to complete tasks. He felt separated from the Skywalker bloodline, but he knew he thought too much about Vader still. 

He wanted to be his own man and he knew he had to assign all his loyalties and focus to his bloodline: the Ren-Hux name. He knew Hux and him wouldn’t combine their names in marriage most likely, but both their surnames would be the only names worth thinking about in his New Order galaxy. He impressed himself while thinking about this future.

They climbed over the Gahenn Plains of Mustafar until finally— _finally_ — they reached the Vader Fortress. Even standing outside its doors, they could feel the energy of the dark side flowing through the building. 

The building was still upright and stable with its obsidian exterior but there were obvious signs of vacancy and ruin. The sith cultists seemingly had not entered the fortress, despite their insistence to defend it from Kylo. 

“I wonder what they were looking for,” Gyro said in a sing-song tune. 

“They weren’t looking for anything, they were here to protect the Corvax Fen. They wanted to restore the land,” Ren said. He thought again about Nykita purposely destroying the cult’s plants. 

“I thought we didn’t have time to discuss the lore of Lady Corvax,” Arla sniped. Ren ignored her childishness. 

“I’d be happy to talk about lore! Lady Corvax was a woman who brought Mustafar to ruin—” Vision chimed in a little too excitedly. 

“Everyone pipe down!” Ren shouted. They all immediately shut up. It was best not to test his patience. 

Ren stared intensely at the large structure in front of them, feeling the warm breeze push at his robes. He could feel the fortress beckoning him, curious about the blood in his veins that was so similar to the blood that stayed here before. 

Imperials used to cross over Mustafar’s land all the time, yet he could tell the land has been devoid of interaction for a long time. He wondered if that increased the Force activity. Or perhaps the planet’s dead Jedi and sith energy was just curious of the descendants of Darth Vader on their land.

There was a black door made of two sliding parts. Ren traced his fingers against the diagonal indent where the two halves of the door intersected. There was no clear way to open the door so Ren pried it open using the Force.

A breeze of dark side energy floated out from the inside making the Knights of Ren freeze up. They weren’t an easily scared bunch, but they all could tell wandering Vader’s Fortress would prove to be a formidable journey. 

“This place will get on your nerves. Stay vigilant. Beware of the lower floors; it’s built over the sith temple. The tuning towers still act as conduits for the dark side,” Ren explained. 

“The portals of the dark side are said to be closed,” Nykita Ren pipped in. 

“We aren’t looking for portals anyway. But that won’t change the energy here. We are all dark siders, but here the dark side has been starved. Be cautious of its tricks,” Kylo Ren warned. They all silently took in their Master’s information. 

Ren entered first into the dark labyrinth. Besides a few chipped edges and dusty floors, the fortress was still sturdy on the inside. There were carefully constructed tubes of lava that were used as lightning, and possibly electricity, but otherwise, the place was dark. 

The Knights of Ren all filled the central lobby area, observing the high ceilings and various pathways and lifts. Ren had an idea of where he wanted to head, but he knew it would be wise, yet difficult, to send his Knights on their own paths. 

“I will head off alone looking for the black kyber. The rest of you is to look around for artifacts and information on how we can better tune ourselves to the dark side. But do not let the dark side take you on a journey that will not lead you back here,” he instructed carefully, heading towards the lift.

“Yes Master,” they all said in sync. 

Ren pushed the keypad and the lift opened. It looked functional; bright white lights shined on the inside. He didn’t have full intentions to go down, rather he decided going up would prove more fruitful. He knew Vader had chambers here. It seemed like the best place to start. 

He watched as the Knights teamed up: Arla with Gyro and Vision with Nykita and Vio. Ren entered the lift. 

“Do not disappoint me,” he warned as the doors closed. 

Alone, at last, he pressed a button and the lift took him upwards through the grand fortress of Darth Vader. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me adding in stupid star wars lore even though this literally is a canon divergent fanfic. Ren is dedicated to that D lemme tell you... and would it be a real marriage if kylo wasn't about to be super extra about it? 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	12. Fire Around Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh to have free time and also be productive... 
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos!

Hux woke up in a cold sweat. He knew he had a nightmare, but he could not remember what it was about. 

The Grand Marshal groaned and flipped over, rubbing his eyes. Ares snuggled up close to him, burying his face in his father’s chest. Hux always felt like Ares was clinging onto him like they were tethered together; it often took Hux a great amount of effort to get his son to feel comfortable alone even for a moment. 

He rarely let his children sleep in his and Ren’s bed— partially because Hux feared Ren would roll over on them and crush them— but without Ren, Hux found it was comforting for his kids to sleep with him.

Hux yawned and opened his eyes fully. 

He was startled to see Galatea sitting up across from him on the bed, staring out the window into the galaxy. Hux couldn’t even remember if he had closed the curtains for the night; usually, he didn’t like the starlight coming in when he slept. 

The light of the stars gave Galatea an ethereal halo glow. 

“Galatea, what are you doing, love?” Hux asked, sitting up and reaching out to the toddler to get her to lay down. 

Galatea whined when Hux touched her little shoulder. He retracted his hand for a moment, surprised he had upset her. 

The toddler looked over her shoulder then crawled over to Hux, laying her head down on the pillow next to him. He kissed her cheek and she put her fingers on his face and felt his skin. He thought she was a rather strange child, but he assumed all children were strange. 

“Da,” she said in her gentle voice. Hux smiled at her. 

“You miss Ren?” he asked her. She didn’t reply. She instead sneezed in his face and Hux’s sweet mood vanished. 

He sat up and groaned, rubbing his wet face with the sleeves on his nightshirt. Now he _completely_ remembered why Galatea and Ares didn’t sleep in his bed. 

Galatea stared at him as he took a tissue and wiped her nose to rid of her snot. He thought about how peculiar this all was for him, even four years later. Wiping a toddler’s nose of snot and not getting mad when she sneezed on him seemed like something very unlike himself yet here he was. 

Hux got out of the bed for a moment. Ares let out annoyed whines for a second at the loss of Hux from the bed, but the youngling merely rolled over and continued his sleep. 

“Papa,” Galatea said as Hux threw away the tissue. He hummed in acknowledgment. “Where Da?” 

“Dearest, he’s on Mustafar, remember?” 

“Ish he okay?” Galatea asked.

The Grand Marshal stopped for a second. Was Ren okay? He never thought about it. He always assured himself that Ren was self-sufficient on his own that he never considered an outcome where Kylo didn’t come back fine. 

He remembered Starkiller Base and how he had to drag Kylo away from his doom. Hux’s gut twisted thinking about how far away Ren was and how out of control he was. What if one day Ren didn’t return? What would he tell the children about why Ren was always away? He suddenly felt a strange hopelessness swell in his heart. 

“Your father is fine, Sweet Tea,” Hux said and crawled back into bed. Galatea got on top of his chest and laid her head on him. 

“‘Kay,” she said in a sleepy voice. 

She seemed settled with his answers, but Hux didn’t feel comforted at all. He suddenly didn’t feel like going back to sleep. 

He hated that he felt so worried about Ren. He hated that Ren had done this to him, made him soft and considerate. It would be easier not to care, but he did. And that was the awful truth. 

He petted Galatea’s hair as she fell back asleep, but he turned his head and stared out the window and into the galaxy. He wondered what was out there for Ren that was so important because what Hux thought was important was sleeping in his arms.

///

The only sound Ren could hear was the echo of his footsteps through the higher levels of the fortress. 

Though he knew his Knights were somewhere in the building, the whole place felt so lonely. Ren was used to being alone, but this lonesomeness felt entirely different. He could only imagine what Darth Vader contemplated while standing within the black walls of this monolith. 

Ren tried to use the Force to guide him to his prize, but even his abilities seemed distracted. The whole building felt like a disruptor of Force abilities; he wasn’t honed enough to the fortress’s side of the Force to control it properly. He assumed he was doing better than his other Knights of Ren; his Skywalker blood must’ve been an advantage in some way. 

Walking down a corridor, Ren felt butterflies in his stomach. His vocoder made the sound of him swallowing hard sound disturbing. 

Perhaps it would’ve been a good idea for someone to tag along with him. Ren shook his head. He wasn’t scared. He told himself he was uncomfortable. 

Being in a place that was a dark mark on a family legacy was odd. Liking that dark mark of that family legacy was odder. Trying to detach yourself from a family legacy after worshipping the dark part of a family you wish you weren’t a part of was— well— complicated. 

Ren had to jump through many mental hurdles to find out how he truly felt about his family but, and the end of it all, his family consisted of mainly Hux and his children and that was it. Even those he cared about, like his Knights, couldn’t be considered family. They were his subordinates, his pawns, and they were there in the past to witness his past selves. 

He reflected upon the last two years of raising Ares and Galatea. Watching them grow felt miraculous like they were two newborn stars in the galaxy. What was even more beautiful was Hux and all his sophisticated cunning and ruthlessness. Hux was his perfect other half. Nobody would take that away from him, especially not the shadows of his past. 

“ _Come back_.” 

Ren whipped his head around, swearing he heard a young girl’s voice. His immediate assumption was that it could’ve been Galatea’s, but he thought the voice was older than hers, though the sound was still of a small child’s. 

He sighed through his nostrils. He knew the Force was now really trying to mess with him. He didn’t know what Vader’s fortress wanted with him, but he figured its purpose was about as torturous as it could be. 

Ren pressed forward. He could see a door at the end of the hall and had a good feeling that there was something important behind it. 

He shook off the voice and pressed forward. Ren felt himself sink downward. He looked down and realized there was suddenly sand underneath his feet. He gasped as the sand began to swallow him up. 

He heard a ship roar by and looked up to see a bright blue sky and a ship vanish off. Ren’s head snapped to the side to see a big pink alien that looked like a dressed blob. It was holding the arm of a little girl with brown hair. They were facing away from Ren. She pulled at him, looking to the sky. 

“ _Come back_!” She cried out, her voice sounding like it was bouncing off invisible walls. The alien tugged at her. 

“ _Quiet girl_ ,” he bellowed.

Ren pulled himself from the sand and turned around, hoping the door would be behind him. 

Instead, the scenery changed once more. Ren began panting as he began to feel overwhelmed by the sudden changes. 

Lights turned on around him and the walls gained dirty white plush edges. He realized he was on the Millennium Falcon; he knew its floors like it was the back of his hand. Ren began jogging through its halls, following the distant voices of those from his past. 

“ _Ben!_ ” he heard Han Solo call out. Almost reflexively, Ren smacked the side of his helmet as if his deceased father’s voice was stuck in his head and could be forced out. 

Ren could still see the door, though it kept changing. The Force wanted him to stay away from it; it was trying to deter him away. He pushed forward, though the scene turned to what appeared to be the violent lava seas of Mustafar beneath his feet. 

He gasped, almost believing this illusion. Around him, lava shook the ground and broke up pieces of rock. Ren fell onto the ground, feeling his legs give out. He didn’t know why the Force wanted to swallow him whole.

His fingers curled around the black ash on the floor as the river of lava moved beneath him. He looked up, disoriented. There was a figure in front of him, but he couldn’t make out the face or the inflection of the man’s voice enough. 

“ _You were my brother—_ ” the voice said sorrowfully, though the rest of the man’s speech was cut off as Ren rose to his feet once more.

He wouldn’t be stopped by what the Force wanted. He would press forward for what _he_ wanted. He ignored the horrible noises around him, but it hurt— it hurt terribly. 

Ren made a bolt for the door, it seemingly rose out of stone and rain. He could feel the water now pour around him as the lava vanished to make room for the place that he’d left behind. 

He didn’t even look behind him, but he could hear how a lightsaber clicked on. He could see the reflection of green light glow around him like an omen of death.

Ren forced the door open and stepped inside. Once instead, he shut up and took in a heavy breath.

He ripped off his helmet and took in the air the fortress supplied, panting. His heart thrummed in his chest. His head hurt with the memories, though they were all scattered and confusing. He didn’t know what all those flashes were. Some images of the Force were only as useful to Ren as the guesses he could give to what they were.

Ren slouched against the door and held his head for a second, feeling his thoughts zip around through the images presented to him. He caught his breath, forcing himself to relax so he could go forward. 

“Hey kid,” a deep, male voice said. Ren’s head snapped up. 

The room was stranger than he anticipated. The room was large with large tubular spires connecting from the ceiling to the floor. It was made of black and navy hues. It almost looked like a boiler room. In fact, it looked familiar; Ren felt he had seen this design before.

On top of a dome-like structure was a man in a silver mask that completely seemed to obscure his vision. The silver front had a red symbol on it. His shirt was more like a thin mesh fabric that clearly showed his muscular body. The thin fabric and holes in them, clearly well worn. The thin fabric almost looked like it had completely fused with his skin.

Kylo Ren gritted his teeth and rose to his feet as the man removed his silver helmet. He had a strong, masculine jaw and wild white hair tied back with random little braids. His eyes opened to stare down at Kylo disapprovingly with its bright blue color.

It was the original Master of the Knights of Ren. This was the _real_ Ren. Though this Ren, the Prime Ren, insisted Ren was more of a feeling and a title than a name. A Ren’s purpose is to be selfish and feed off the dark side, following its call and deconstructing it however they can. Violence was welcomed. 

Kylo put his lightsaber into his hand and turned it on. He knew, in the back of his mind, that Ren Prime was a mere apparition: a ghost or a memory. The Fortress was playing with his mind, but Ren Prime was different from the flashes of various memories that tried to suck him in. 

Ren Prime smirked down at him like he was really alive. Kylo Ren had killed him though. He put his saber through the man’s heart. 

There was a conspicuous hole in Ren Prime’s shirt from where Kylo knew he had stabbed him, but there was no wound. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Kylo spat. He felt strange about facing the former Master. He wondered if the other knights would see him too. 

Ren Prime chuckled, procuring his lightsaber in his hand. The large man twirled it in between his fingers slowly; Ren realized he learned to twirl his lightsaber absentmindedly because of him. 

“You’ve accomplished a lot since I last saw you. Have you gotten over your identity crisis? I still remember you being randomly apprehensive about killing people and then deciding to hurt others. You’re a strange kid,” Ren Prime said. Kylo wanted him to come down so he could skewer him again.

“I know who I am. And I’m not a kid anymore.” Kylo Ren circled the former Master, though the man didn’t come down. 

“Right. You’re a father now,” Ren Prime taunted, his voice echoing around the walls. 

Kylo blinked and Ren Prime vanished from his spot. Kylo spun around to find Ren Prime behind him. Kylo outstretched his lightsaber, turning it on. The fiery red blade was just far enough so it didn’t touch the man, but if Kylo took a step forward he could easily burn the man’s neck.

Kylo’s eyes shifted to see a ruffle of white hair in Ren Prime’s hands. His eyes widened as he recognized the intricate braids and the blushed cheeks.

“Galatea…” Kylo muttered. He felt his body heat up in rage. “What the hell is this?”

He knew she wasn’t there. The Force was playing games with him but he couldn’t help but let it feel real. His little girl looked so convincing, down to her big ears and the way she held onto Ren Prime. 

“It isn’t anything. I’m just holding this sweet little Daughter of Ren,” Ren Prime said, lightly brushing his large finger against her nose. Kylo Ren was shaking. “Though, you almost lost her, didn’t you? And your son? To some pirates? I find that very pathetic.” 

“You’re not real,” Ren thundered, inching his saber closer. He was sweating though; Galatea was so close to his saber too. “She’s not real either. I saved my children!” 

“Yet you don’t know who tried to take them,” Ren Prime taunted. Then, surprisingly, he added with a cruel glare, “you don’t even know if you're her father.”

Kylo felt his stomach drop and his body went cold. He couldn’t stop his hand from shaking. Ren Prime stepped back, a sleeping Galatea still in his arms. 

It wasn’t true. Kylo knew that. He could see his eyes in hers, he could feel his blood flowing through her. She was force sensitive. She was his.

Unless he was seeing what he wanted to. It took one look at Ren Prime’s white hair and the white hair of his daughter to strike doubt into his heart. It was impossible though, surely. Where would there be any DNA of Ren Prime? He and Hux would’ve noticed if Galatea wasn’t blood-related to them. 

But doubt was a strong disease. Kylo remembered that Hux had not exactly explained where Galatea came from. She was a podchild like Ares, but he hadn’t been there to see any obvious signs of their DNA being used. The only constant, he could think of, was Hux in their making. It was Hux’s blood that spilled on Quirinal and it was Hux who went back there and always seemed to return with a baby. They had sex on that planet, who knew what they did with the sheets? 

Snoke said Ares was his. That he believed: the former Supreme Leader wouldn’t lie about that, otherwise, Ares would be useless. Snoke knew how to twist terrible thoughts into Kylo’s head like a screw he was forcing into the wrong hole, but Ares was his son. 

Galatea was his little mystery though as if the Force made it so she was born from the ashes of Quirinal’s war-ridden soil. 

Galatea was his beautiful daughter, tied up in a neat little bow and presented to him. He couldn’t resist having someone so lovely refer to him as their dad. He knew that, perhaps, one day a different truth would be revealed about her and why Hux went to Quirinal to get another child, but for now, he knew one truth: He was the Supreme Leader is the First Order, and Ares and Galatea were his children, no matter where they came from.

The illusion moved swifter than Kylo could with his lightsaber. The minute he tried to slice through Ren Prime’s face, the man sprung into action, spinning out of the way with his own red lightsaber in his hands. Kylo panicked for a moment, realizing that Galatea was gone from Prime’s hands, but then he remembered this was all an illusion. 

“You’re wasting my time!” Ren snarled. “You can’t trick me.” 

Ren Prime frowned and shook his head, slouching disappointedly. 

“You know, you used to look up to me.” 

“I used to put some faith in a lot of people who all thought of me as someone I wasn’t, someone limited. I am more than your petty games,” Ren said raggedly. “I am my own man. I can’t say the same for you.” 

Ren Prime and Kylo clashed their lightsabers together, the red blades sparking against each other. There was no heat emitting from the former leader’s hands so Ren knew he wasn’t there, but it still felt convincing. He tried not to be distracted but he worried about Galatea; he began to think the Force was trying to tell him something about her. 

Kylo remembered how the original Ren died, how they were spinning in the air as Kylo claimed that he was in charge of himself. 

Everyone thought he was special. Good for them, he said, but he didn’t think the same. It just meant he could do as he pleased, just the Ren is supposed to. 

Everyone was often so clear in what they wanted from him. Whether it was Leia wanting him to be a senator’s son or Luke for him to be a Jedi, or Rey wanting him to be some form of hope to bring back to Leia. He wasn’t any of that. He wasn’t Snoke’s new Vader or the Ren’s new playmate. 

He was Kylo. And he knew the only man who truly agreed was Hux. Hux and the children didn’t want anything from him except for him to be there. 

And that was something worth destroying the galaxy for.

Ren Prime swung at Kylo’s head with blunt force and Kylo jumped out of the way, managing to use the new angle to swipe his lightsaber at Ren Prime’s side. His saber burned through the former master’s skin and he grunted and fell over. 

Ren Prime touched his side and let out a strange laugh as he realized Kylo had sliced him. Kylo looked down at the man who plopped down on the floor. 

“Damn kid, I guess you have changed,” he admitted. “Or maybe the galaxy has changed to compensate for you and your new stars.”

He wasn’t sure what the man meant by that but once Ren blinked, the white-haired man was gone. He could feel the Force settle strangely as if it had given up on trying to torment Ren for the time being. 

The room had changed to a darker hue and the interior looked more clean and symmetrical. In the middle of the room was a glowing orifice that looked almost like a huge black egg with wires sticking out of it. The lights inside were weak from years of sitting idle. Inside the egg was a seat and even more wires and plugs to account for. 

Kylo cautiously approached it and put his hand to the panel outside of it. The screen on the rectangular panel didn’t light up but Ren felt his body shake with chills.

Darth Vader had used this room as his bacta chamber. The room was both for meditation and to help ease the extensive pain he had in his crippled body. Kylo almost felt excited, but then remembered he wasn’t here to be starstruck.

He traced his fingers along the opened pods wall until he found a panel. He used the Force to pop open a panel and there, inside, he found a small black object in a glass container, surrounded by strange mechanisms. 

Ren pulled the black crystal out from the panel and almost fell to the floor. The Force practically held its breath and sighed at the sudden change in the area. 

In his hand was a black kyber crystal. He didn’t know its history, but he knew the history it would soon have sitting on the finger of the Supreme Leader’s lover. 

Ren reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a black box. He put the black kyber into the box to make sure it stayed secure and then tucked it back into a safe place.

He still felt rattled from the experience of seeing the original Master of Ren; he hoped his Knights had not had a similar experience. He was concerned they’d question their loyalties if they remembered who came before him. 

Slowly, Ren lumbered his way back to the lift, his shoulders feeling heavy. He felt tired. He knew he wasn’t that old, but he felt like the experience had aged him. 

He wanted to see his daughter and his son. 

Instead of going back down, he headed up. He found a floor of the tower that opened up into a wide space with no furniture but a grand view of Mustafar. 

Ren went to a circular platform that had dim lights decorating its circumstance and sat down on the ground, staring out the window at the ashy grey-blue world. 

He wanted to lay down on the floor and sleep but knew that would be a stupid choice. Instead, Ren reached out into the Force, looking for his children. They were too far and too weak in the Force to properly find, but he could sense something out there, like the weak flicker of a star. He hoped one of the children could feel him there too. 

“Kylo?” 

Ren flinched and looked over his shoulder to see Arla Ren standing in the entryway. Her helmet was tucked under her arm. She looked downtrodden, her dark hair struggling to stay in its braids. He thought she was someone else for a moment. 

He blinked blankly, unsure why she was approaching him. The girl sat next to him and let out a sigh. They were quiet for a moment, staring out at Mustafar and letting the breeze hit their faces. Ren thought Arla looked a little more mature than he remembered. 

“Did you find something useful?” he asked her. 

She shrugged. “Perhaps. This place makes us all uneasy.” 

“Where did you abandon Gyro Ren?” 

She huffed in amusement. “He’s fine. He went off with Vio because they found an interesting assortment of weaponry that amused both of them.” 

Another pause filled their conversation. Usually, Ren didn’t care, but he suddenly felt a strange discomfort sit between them. He looked at her again, seeing her still young features; he wondered what would become of her— and all of his knights— in the future. He wanted them all to stay together for eternity but Ren questioned if holding onto them would stop him from going forward with Hux and their babies. 

“I found what I was looking for,” he told her. 

“That’s good. So you’re really going to marry him, huh?” she asked, pulling her legs against her chest as she sat. Ren raised an eyebrow. 

“What?— of course. Why wouldn’t you think I would?” 

“I don’t know. You’re strange,” he frowned at her, “and all of this is strange. I just thought you’d never really settle like this.” 

“I assure you, you all will be my knights still afterward. My galaxy needs a strong dark side force to keep it aligned.” 

“I’m not one of your brainless soldiers, Kylo. You don’t have to give me a speech. I’ve heard enough of them in my lifetime,” she exasperated. 

He didn’t know what to tell her. He didn’t know what she wanted at the moment. And the things he knew he should say to her he didn’t because he knew it would ruin their relationship. She was like him, in a way; her ego was easily shattered and she wanted more than the galaxy would give her. Ren knew her limitations were caused by him. He knew that he wouldn’t let his children be limited in their lives. 

“Do you oppose me marrying Hux? You seem to like him, somehow,” he asked sincerely. 

She shook her head. “No. I’m glad. Maybe I am a bit jealous that he takes up so much of your time but I understand why. He’s a good partner for you.” She cracked a smile. “That and because you both are insane so it balances out.” 

He grabbed the back of her head playfully and gave her a little shove. She swatted his hands away, grinning like a child. He found a strange calm in looking at her smile. 

“Let’s leave, Lady Ren,” he told her, putting his helmet back on his head. She hopped up and did the same, knowing that Ren was a changed man truly. He was not perfect, not at all, but he was ready for the future. 

And that future to him would be a beautiful planet to overlook with Hux in his arms and two rowdy children to light the path of the next generation. 

He knew once the ring went on Hux’s finger, he’d be victorious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in a dramatic fashion, Ren gets a wedding ring because he couldn't just buy a normal one. also, spooky force visions oooo~ stay safe out there everyone!
> 
> leave a comment I love those! also follow me on my below social medias (especially twitter). 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	13. Absolutely Hypnotized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my brain is mush, here is a chapter! it is both sweet and filthy! because we all need that...
> 
> i swear we will get to the marriage one day we just gotta take it a step at a time like Ren does.
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos
> 
> cw: sexual content

Hux headed to the gym late at night. He usually wasn’t much of a sleeper, but he had been having even more difficulty sleeping the night after Ren left for Mustafar. 

He loathed to admit it, but he knew he was worried about Ren. Hux never used to care too much about Ren going off on a mission. The man may have been idiotic, but he was pretty self-sufficient, yet Galatea had spooked him by asking for Ren. 

He knew he should’ve been more concerned with Ren’s well-being given that the man was always putting himself in danger, but he also felt as though he didn’t have to worry about Kylo. 

Still, Hux trembled at the thought of Ren not returning one day. He despised this insecurity of his. He hated that Ren had some much pull over him. 

He thought that exercise would be a good way to get his mind off things and keep his body healthy. He hadn’t been exercising as frequently because of how busy they were, but he tried to at least do yoga once in a while. 

It was always difficult to get away from their children. They were sleeping in his chambers, overwatched by a trusted droid. Hux also had a baby monitoring system all over their chambers that was only connected to his datapad. 

Upon entering a large exercise room with mats on the floor and weights and jump ropes organized around, he realized he wasn’t the only one there. It was late in the sleep cycle and, usually, even the skeleton crew didn’t bother to look in the workout rooms.

Captain Mitaka was laying down on a bench, lifting heavy weights up and down from his chest and into the air. Hux quietly watched the man for a minute. He didn’t observe Mitaka’s stature often, but he swore Mitaka used to be pretty skinny. Now, he noticed that Mitaka had some toned muscles on his arms. The man looked stronger than his uniform let off. 

Hux walked in, purposefully being loud in his steps so the Captain knew he was there. Mitaka sighed loudly and put the weights down, sitting up and facing Hux. Mitaka’s black hair was wet against his face. It was funny to see him so flustered. 

“Grand Marshal!” Mitaka exclaimed, pushing his hair back and trying to wipe the sweat off his head. “I didn’t think you’d come here.” 

“Don’t mind me, Captain. I just couldn’t sleep,” Hux said, putting his gym bag down. “What are you doing here so late?” 

“Oh, I, uh, same.” Hux didn’t reply, noticing how jittery Mitaka seemed. “Sometimes I work out at night when nobody is around. It’s… good for me.”

Mitaka’s cheeks were red, but Hux couldn’t tell if that was because he was overworked or if he was embarrassed to be caught in such an informal state. 

“Seems as though we are in similar circumstances then,” Hux said, taking a yoga mat and rolling it out. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Mitaka said with a small smile. Hux stared at him incredulously. Mitaka’s eyes widened and he stuttered. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to sound rude! I uh—”

“Mitaka, it’s all right,” Hux assured, but now he felt awkward about exercising in front of one of his Captains, even if it was Mitaka. Mitaka still was looking away. “I promise, Mitaka, it’s fine.” 

Mitaka looked back to his Grand Marshal, letting out a sigh that he was trapping in his chest. Hux couldn’t help but think Mitaka seemed more worried than usual (and that was saying something). 

“I apologize, Grand Marshal. And I am sorry I haven’t been as attentive lately,” Mitaka lamented. Hux tilted his head; he had no idea what Mitaka meant. The man seemed to be doing his work just fine. 

“Oh? What do you mean?” 

“Uh, I felt like I haven’t been as efficient! And I know you are busy with your children, I feel like I should be pulling more weight.” Hux’s cold heart almost warmed Mitaka's consistent loyalty. If things didn’t work out with Ren, maybe he could convince the kids Mitaka was their other parent. Of course, he was joking to himself and then regretted the joke; he hoped Ren and his jealousy didn’t hear him from across the galaxy. 

“You seem perfectly well to me, Captain,” Hux praised. He suddenly didn’t feel like exercising and sat on the floor, stretching his legs instead. 

“Thank you, sir! How are you then, seeing that you can’t sleep,” Mitaka asked. Hux watched him physically recoil, knowing that Mitaka thought he was overstepping. 

Before Mitaka could apologize he sighed and said, “I’m fine, just a bit worried is all.”

Hux wondered if he was oversharing; he never talked to anyone, except Kylo, so intimately. Mitaka had watched over his children and they’ve eaten together and gambled together so, surely, they were at least acquaintances in some capacity. 

“Would you like to talk about it? I don’t mind. I hope I am not being nosy,” he wasn’t, “but I think, at least off-duty, I consider you a friend, sir.”

A friend. Now that was something. Hux never thought about friends. Even before he had his children and Ren, he never thought much about friendship. Perhaps, just sometimes, he thought of Captain Phasma as a friend, but they never said this to one another.

He missed her occasionally, even though he knew she was the one to bring down Starkiller’s shields. She was a selfish woman, but she was also the strongest person he’d ever seen. He respected her cruelty and her will to survive. 

Mitaka wasn’t like Phasma: he was gentle and a bit timid, but he also was smarter than he appeared and quick with a blaster. Mitaka also helped rocked Ares when he was a baby and never spoke a word about Ren and Hux’s relationship, and he knew some of the other officers would occasionally bug Mitaka about it. Mitaka helped save him on Ganja II and, strangely, Mitaka also managed to get along with Ren’s knights whenever they hovered around. 

So yes, Hux concluded, Mitaka was his friend, if not his only one. 

“Oh, I’m just fretting over our Supreme Leader is all,” Hux said as if everyone else worried about Kylo Ren the same way he did. “He is quite, well, adamant about going on dangerous missions which I think is needless. I am merely concerned he’ll injury himself carelessly.”

“Those are valid concerns, Grand Marshal. I know that… a lot of people do not understand your relationship with Ren,” Hux narrowed his eyes at Mitaka in warning, “but we can respect you care about him, to some extent. I think you should worry rather than not. A lot is a stake, isn’t it?” 

“Technically, yes, a lot is at stake.” 

Mitaka awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, squirming. “Uh, you know sir, it’s not the same but I understand how you feel.” 

Hux raised an eyebrow, now interested in Mitaka and his nervous body language. “Oh?”

“Well I’m sure it doesn’t compare, sir, but I have people I care about. My family, for instance. I don’t see them very much and I worry, but I know they are capable. This— uh— a friend of mine is also on my mind a lot. I worry they’ll hurt themselves serving the Order. I respect them, but I also wish I could see them more casually. I worry that I’ll run out of time before getting to know them better.” 

It was strange watching Mitaka stammer, though Hux knew he was constantly having his nerves tested having to work so closely with Kylo Ren and his posse of barbarians. Hux couldn’t help but feel personally interested in Mitaka’s words. Hux wondered if this ‘friend’ Mitaka was referring to was himself. 

“Who's your friend?” 

Mitaka put a hand to his face. “Oh, nobody. That’s not the point anyway.” Hux wasn’t convinced but let Mitaka get away with having a private life. “The point is that you are allowed to worry, but I think the Supreme Leader is very capable too.”

Mitaka was right, but Hux already felt drained from talking about Ren with someone. Nobody else did understand Ren the same way he did which only felt like more isolation. Even the Knights of Ren couldn’t completely comprehend Hux’s and Ren’s relationship, and Hux had the feeling a few of them even found it annoying. 

Hux didn’t offer up any follow-up, but he thought of Ren as he stretched out. 

Eventually, Mitaka felt too awkward and left Hux to exercise alone, hoping to give his Grand Marshal some space to clear his head. 

Hux never thought to use the word _worry_ to attribute what he was feeling about Ren. He worried about a lot of things: his worthiness as a leader and as a father, the secret infighting amongst the ranks, the possibility that someone would try to snatch up his children again, but he never thought about what it meant to worry about Ren. He was concerned, but having concern was different. 

Concern was logical and made sense. It made perfect sense to be concerned if Ren came back battered and bruised because Ren had a history of being aggressive and careless with himself, and the Order needed him to lead. 

Worry was personal. Worry was Hux tossing and turning in an empty bed, wondering what it would feel like to not know the presence of Ren’s warm, hunkering body. Worry was Hux picking at his hangnails and feeling panicked like his relationship with Ren wasn’t enough after all. Worry was Hux knowing that he needed Kylo Ren to return to him because he knew that he had become too engrossed with the dark beauty of that man.

He hated this dependence more than anything. He didn’t want to be dependent on Ren or need him. He wanted to feel nothing if Ren was ripped away from him, but he couldn’t.

Hux loved the damn bastard. He was the oddest thing to love too. 

Hux thought about all the ways he could kiss Ren when that idiot returned. And then he thought of all the ways to make sure Ren never let him go. 

///

When Kylo Ren arrived back at the _Vanguard_ , he noticed that Hux wasn’t there to greet him. His knights filed out and went their own directions; some went to their own shuttles to quietly observe the other ships in the Order’s navy or the planets of the New Order’s legion, whereas others went off across the _Vanguard_ to watch the crew in their own way.

The only Knight of Ren to not follow them home was Gyro Ren, who Ren entrusted with making sure the kyber crystal would return to them without a shard missing. 

The kyber had been dropped off at an esteemed jeweler on Coruscant who would form it into an engagement ring. Kylo didn’t care if the jeweler broke up the kyber into smaller pieces, he just wanted to make sure the pieces would all return to him in some way.

A timid Lieutenant was waiting for Ren as he arrived. She was visibly shaking having to face Ren in all his masked glory. He rolled his eyes; he liked being feared but this was a bit too dramatic even for him. 

“Supreme Leader sir!” she saluted, rather aggressively. “The—”

“Where’s the Grand Marshal?” he interrupted. She cringed and, in turn, made Ren want to throttle her. Where were they getting these people for his most prized ship?

“The Grand Marshal is requesting you in the throne room! He hasn’t been seen all this cycle, though he assures he’s fine,” she informed, her posture too stiff. 

_The throne room?_ Ren thought. It seemed out of character for Hux to bother going to the throne room. Technically, it was Ren’s space where he could meet top generals and delegates and other leaders to confer with them in private. 

He never ended up giving Hux a proper throne or letting his children into the room. He didn’t feel the need to as he expected that their palace on Naboo would have seats ready for them in a traditional monarchical style. 

Kylo Ren didn’t bother to dismiss the girl and stormed off towards the throne room. He wondered if that meant Ares and Galatea were there too or if Hux was having a droid (or Mitaka) watch them. He wanted to see his children after the stressful occurrence on Mustafar, but Hux’s attention seemed to be in more dire need. 

The halls of the _Vanguard_ appeared oddly quiet as if his absence made the ship sleepy. He could hear the soft humming of the ship under his feet. 

When reaching the door to his throne room, he found the usual guards were not standing outside it. In fact, no guards were there at all. The hallway was bright with its white lights but there was nobody there to cast a shadow. Ren reached out into the Force and could sense Hux sitting behind the door, but the emotions he projected felt unlike Hux: they were wild and unsteady as if he could not make up his mind about what was happening in his head.

With a little urgency, Ren let the doors slide open and he stepped in. The doors quickly shut behind him. 

Hux was sitting on Ren’s throne, slouching backward against it with his legs spread lazily. Laziness was not one of Hux’s known qualities; Ren wondered if he was a bit drunk. 

Ren narrowed his eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

“Ah, Supreme Leader. Nice to see you,” Hux said, not bothering to fix his obscene posture. “How was your trip, darling?”

Ren didn’t know why, but he felt like Hux was threatening him. There was a darkness in his Grand Marshal’s eyes that he rarely saw. Hux wasn’t above his own dark thoughts, but he generally did not expose them. Here, he looked ravishing and dangerous.

“Are you all right, Hux?” Ren asked sincerely. 

“Why wouldn’t I be all right?” 

“You’re sitting on my throne and you are acting strange.”

“Ah, _your_ throne!” Hux bristled like an angry feline. “If I recall, we were supposed to be equals and yet you have been off and away so often I sometimes forget we even have a Supreme Leader!”

“Watch it,” Ren warned, striding to the throne. Hux didn’t budge, but he did sit up straighter. Ren couldn’t yet tell Hux their kingdom was in the works and that Hux would soon receive his crown. 

“Watch what, Kylo? You can’t even watch your children!” Hux criticized.

Ren went to the throne and slammed his hands on each armrest, leaning close to Hux so they were particularly nose to nose. Hux slid down slightly so that Ren appeared taller. They glared at one another. 

“What is your kriffing problem, you sociopath?” Hux looked like he was about to bite Ren. Ren wanted his nose to stay attached to his face, but he refused to let his ego be bruised by Hux’s apparent rebelling against his Supreme Leader. 

There was a twinkle in Hux’s eye that Ren thought might be the beginnings of a tear. The Supreme Leader softened and grabbed Hux gently by his chin, inspecting the sharp yet loving edges of his face. Hux let Ren, seemingly melting into the slightest of touch. Hux took in an unsteady breath. 

“I don’t have a problem,” Hux said, but Ren heard the little hitch in his voice. 

Hux reached out and traced his finger— an _ungloved_ finger, for that matter— along a little spot on Ren’s unmasked face. The Grand Marshal rubbed a spot under his lip with his thumb, almost pulling the lip downwards a tad. 

Ren searched in Hux’s mind with a little push of the Force. Unlike his usual self, Hux didn’t resist Ren's intrusion. 

“You… missed me?” Ren asked, surprised. 

“You have a small cut here below your lip. Would you be more careful?” Ren thought a little cut was extremely inconsequential given that he had received much larger injuries before, but he was starting to understand Hux’s fret. 

“You missed me,” Ren said more assuredly. Hux pouted. 

When Ren tried to kiss Hux, the ginger terror stubbornly turned his face away so Ren was stuck pecking him on his cheek. He could smell a pleasantly sweet aroma coming off Hux: some sort of perfume that he didn’t realize Hux wore. 

“I’d miss you less if you’d just stay with us more often,” Hux criticized, withdrawing his hands from Ren and folding them in his lap. Ren sighed.

“Soon, Armitage, I promise.” 

“You promise a lot of things.” 

Ren grabbed Hux by the face and forced the man to look at him. They stared into each other’s eyes, a little hopeless, and a little hopeful. 

He wanted to propose right then, to show Hux that he was serious and always had been about the one man who understood him, but he couldn’t. He wanted it to be extra special. He had even watched shitty romantic holos to try to get a gauge of what people liked when they were getting proposed to. Arla Ren warned him to never propose to someone in front of a big group of people. Gyro Ren said that people always were horny after getting proposed to which wasn’t particularly helpful and didn’t seem entirely truthful. 

He wasn’t like Hux; he couldn’t be bothered to put in all the energy into diplomacy like he did but he did put all his energy into making a home for them and their children. 

“I promise that I love you,” Ren told him. Hux’s eyes welled with tears, overwhelmed by the sudden compassion of his dark knight. 

He couldn’t believe this was his Kylo Ren, a man who could slaughter villages and then come home to kiss his sweet children. It shouldn’t have made sense. They should’ve perished separately and tore at each other throats for the crown but here they were, looking at each other so lovingly and burning the galaxy apart just so they could make their family comfortable. 

“I know,” Hux whimpered out, a tear spilling from his eye. It made Ren tear up a little too to know that Hux, despite his rough edges, loved him dearly. “I worry… I think I’m terrified you won’t come back one day. Or that someone will break you into pieces. I hate this weakness you gave me, Kylo Ren.”

Ren felt his body tense up protectively. He always would come home to Hux. He had to and wanted to and needed to. Hux’s delicate expression was enough to make Ren want to murder the Resistance and take it apart brick by brick just so they could not endanger all of them in any way. 

He thought about Starkiller where Hux dragged him to safety and dunked him in bacta. He thought about how if he perished there, by Rey and Finn’s hands, that his son would be alone and Hux would have nobody to turn to. It was enough to make him go mad.

“I’ll always come back to you, I swear it! I swear!” Ren chanted, gripping Hux’s face a bit roughly. Hux put his hands on Ren’s wrists, coaxing the brute to release him. 

The Knight of Ren kneeled in front of his Grand Marshal, holding his hands and looking up to him. Hux’s face warmed at the sight. 

“Why have you chosen me?” Hux questioned in a small voice. Ren wished Hux wouldn’t have any doubts. Even if Ren had met every fool in the galaxy, he didn’t think he could find someone who would match him the same way Hux did. 

“Why wouldn’t I? Haven’t I proved it enough?” Ren was beginning to worry himself now that they were going back to that place when the two of them fought over everything. Where Hux would hide Ares away and Ren would prevent his feelings from being real. 

“I… I sound stupid, don’t I?”

“No!” Hux flinched. Ren tried to rub Hux’s palms with his thumbs to relax him. Ren laid his head onto Hux’s lap, reaching out and then gripping Hux on the fabric over his stomach. “Don’t doubt yourself, Armitage. Don’t doubt us too… I need you.” 

Hux sighed and pet Ren’s messy hair, placing his other hand on the arm resting near Hux’s thin waist. 

“You brute…” Hux muttered, his eyes fluttering. “You’ve ruined me.”

They sat there in silence for a moment. Ren shut his eyes and let himself lay still in Hux’s lap, although kneeling for a long time was uncomfortable. Hux played with his hair, taking apart some knots. Ren practically wagged his tail like a hound in Hux’s lap, grateful for his Grand Marshal’s attention. 

Ren could feel Hux’s hand tremble against his head. When Ren looked up again, he saw that Hux’s cheeks had turned pink and the man’s eyes were half-lidded and cloudy.

Ren got up slowly, realizing what Hux wanted. Ren took the man’s chin once more and pulled him into a deep kiss. Hux was on him instantly, moaning and trying to wrap himself around Ren while still being seated on the throne. 

Their kisses were desperate, panting against one another and nastily letting each other’s spit transfer from mouth to mouth. Ren’s face was flushed more because of Hux’s passion rather than his actual kisses. 

Hux unbuttoned his pristine black jacket as Ren held the back of his neck, pulling at his lip with his teeth. Hux sighed through his nose. Once Hux had unbuttoned enough that his neck was more easily exposed, Ren leaned down with the intent to bruise his Grand Marshal’s skin. Hux tilted his head and closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the electricity in every graze of Ren’s plush lips. 

“I’ve been thinking,” Ren murmured against Hux’s neck. Hux gave a soft hum. 

“You don’t have the brain to think,” Hux said with an airy voice. Ren bit into Hux’s shoulder a little rough as a warning. Hux let out a squeak and squeezed Ren.

“Let’s have more kids.” 

Hux pushed Ren off his neck, frowning. Ren passively stared at Armitage, grabbing Hux by his parted legs, and pulled him against his crotch. 

“You are being ridiculous, the number of children we have now is perfectly acceptable,” Hux said firmly. He didn’t add that the planet the children were developed on had been bombed two years prior, practically forcing many of the labs to restart their research. That and Ren hated Quirinal.

Ren reached down and popped a button open on Hux's pants, sighing but agreeing with a little nod of his head. 

“...I know.” 

“You are just being needy, Supreme Leader.” 

“I think the needy one is you, Grand Marshal.” 

Ren strategically lifted Hux off his throne, making the man yelp at the sudden hands around him. Quickly, Ren plopped himself down on his throne with Hux on his lap in a position he felt was more appropriate for them both. Hux smacked Ren on the chest for moving him around like a rag doll. Ren chuckled and went back to kissing Hux’s neck, nipping at it more aggressively. 

He squeezed Hux’s perky little ass, encouraging him to sit up. Ren then gave Hux a rough smack on his ass with both his hands, the sound echoing across the room along with Hux’s surprised moan. 

“You are such a violent arsehole!” Hux miffed.

“Yet you love it. You were here, waiting for it,” Ren said in a low voice that sent a shiver up Hux’s spine. “Now, turn around Armitage.” 

“Why, Supreme Leader?” Hux asked in a sultry voice. 

“So you can remember what throne you _really_ sit on.” 

Hux obeyed, not bothering to even glare at Ren. Ren had Hux sitting in his lap, facing away from him so his chest was pressed to Hux’s back. 

Ren expertly began to remove Hux’s trousers. Hux waited patiently, feeling every brush of Ren’s finger against him with a jolt of great excitement. 

Ren only had to slide Hux’s pants down a little to see a bit of lace fabric peeking through. His face reddened as he saw the thin cut of dark green fabric vanish into the crest of Hux’s ass. He honestly wasn’t expecting his Grand Marshal to secretly dress so erotically under his fine layers of professional clothing. 

“What’s wrong, Supreme Leader?” Hux asked in a faux-innocent voice. He nudged himself against Ren’s crotch and leaned forward slightly so Ren could see the thin strings of his panties more clearly. “Nervous?”

 _Holy fuck_ , Ren thought to himself. Ren pulled down Hux’s pants more and, sure enough, Hux was wearing lacy green underwear. Its straps around his hips were thin and it made a little triangle shape that disappeared into his ass. Ren thought that he was going to die at the sight. 

Then, Ren realized he could see something wet and sticky on Hux. Ren gripped Hux’s right cheek and felt the substance. The closer to Hux’s hole his finger traced the more he realized Hux was soaking. 

“Did you prepare for me?” Ren asked, not realizing his voice was shaking in anticipation. Hux looked over his shoulder. 

“Well, you were gone. What else am I going to do?” 

_He’s gonna kill me for real_ , Ren thought. He always thought Hux would murder him in a stealthy matter, a way even he couldn’t see coming. Little did he realize that Hux was going to kill him by making Ren physically explode from lustful excitement. If Ren were to go out, he thought the most respectable way would be either from Hux’s ass suffocating him while sitting on his face or from an orgasm so rough he breaks something and never gets better. 

He was being dramatic, of course, but he had never felt more excited to rip through Hux’s clothes. He had some restraint, though, and managed to pull Hux’s pants down enough so his ass was exposed. The Force helped, leaving it so only one pant leg was still attached to Hux’s leg while the rest sagged on the floor. 

It only took a few pumps to get himself rock hard; staring at Hux’s perky, red ass dressed in a thin pair of lacy panties was enough to overjoy him. Hux was patient, wiggling his ass a little as his Supreme Leader readied himself. Ren experimentally pressed a thumb into Hux’s hole as he jerked himself off. Hux sighed in pleasure, merely happy that Ren would touch him. 

Ren wanted to torture Hux by making him wait and act like a proper consort hungry for his Supreme Leader’s seed, but Ren honestly couldn’t wait either. He just wanted to ram himself into Hux’s wet, tight heat. Then the Grand Marshal would know that the only place his ass should be sitting was on _his_ cock. 

Hux adjusted his stance, curving his back slightly, and carefully leaning forward. Ren used the Force to steady his Grand Marshal so he could have the best position without compromising how he got to sit on the throne. The throne itself is roomy enough for a lap partner. Ren subconsciously thought about that when the throne was designed. 

Carefully, he pressed his tip into Hux, only needing to pull the little pantie string aside to gain access. Hux moaned, shutting his eyes and shaking wildly. Ren helped guide Hux down at an achingly slow pace until the man was fully seated, his legs spread enough to be comfortable but stable. Hux didn’t even think about Ren’s perverted use of the Force to help them in their sex acts. 

Ren stopped and stared for a moment, looking at Hux’s red neck and the nakedness of his thighs. He leaned close, rubbing his nose against the side of Hux’s neck. From the back, the fabric of his jacket still covered up most of his skin. 

“Show me how much you missed me, Armitage,” Ren murmured near Hux’s ear. 

Hux hiccuped and began to lift himself up and down. Ren helped him with a hand on the man’s hip and one near his thigh. The bounces were slow and shallow at first as Hux got used to the motion and the position. 

Ren pretended to be bored, trying to keep the noises to himself so he could listen to Hux’s needy whimpers. He was getting irritated over the jacket though. Ren held Hux down on his cock in a swift motion, driving it back into Hux faster than he had been moving. Hux gasped loudly, his thighs trembling. 

“Wha… huh?” Hux couldn’t get out too many coherent words. 

“Your fucking jacket is in the way. We should’ve removed this first,” Ren said gripping one of the sleeves. “I wonder if you have anything to match underneath.”

Ren grabbed the back of the jacket collar and began to split Hux’s jacket apart by the seams. The Force helped hurry along with the tearing of the Grand Marshal’s fine top layer. Hux was helpless as his clothes were split, the two sides were still helplessly attached to his arms. 

The Force pulled the sleeves from his arms leaving Hux exposed. In contrast, the only thing Ren had exposed was his cock from his pants. 

Sure enough, Hux was wearing a little green bralette to match. Ren wasn’t even sure where Hux had gotten his provocative outfit but he wasn’t complaining. 

“You are buying me a new jacket!” Hux yelled. Ren kissed his shoulder and thrust hard into Hux. Hux threw his head back, his mouth gaping at the sudden movement.

“I’ll buy you whatever you want if you keep wearing pieces like these,” Ren said, pulling back a strap of Hux’s bralette and letting it snap against his reddening skin. 

Hux bent his legs up in the air, groaning as Ren took control and began fucking up into him. Hux tried to put an arm behind him, pressing a hand against the throne for leverage. Ren gripped Hux’s hips, bouncing him with vigor. 

Ren moaned in Hux’s ear, feeling a bit overheated from all his layers and Hux’s hot body against him. 

“Ah, fuck Kylo,” Ren heard Hux groan, the man coming undone with every bounce and movement. Hux leaned back and tried to turn his head to put his lips against Ren’s cheek, but found it difficult. 

“What a good little consort you are.” 

“I’m not—” Ren slammed Hux down onto his cock and the words got stuck in Hux’s throat. 

“I’m your Supreme Leader, you are whatever I say you are.” Ren nipped at Hux’s shoulder, grabbing a strap from the bralette with his teeth and pulling it, letting it snap back down against the man’s red skin. 

He could tell Hux was thinking of saying something snarky, but he instead replied with, “Yes, Supreme Leader,” which only excited Ren further. He still loved hearing Hux address him as the more powerful figure. Watching Armitage submit to Ren’s rule was euphoric. 

After a few more aggressive thrusts, Ren held Hux down on his cock and released into him, groaning against Hux’s shoulder. Hux whined, his body shaking. They sat there for a few moments, trying to relax. Ren reached forward into Hux’s panties and jerked the man off, helping him into his own release that ruined the fabric. 

Once they relaxed, Hux lifted himself off of Ren and felt liquid drip out of him obscenely. Hux would’ve called it disgusting but he knew it to be a bit hypocritical of him to say so given that he had been fingering himself on Ren’s throne as he was waiting for his arrival. 

Hux felt a crick in his shoulder from Ren’s kisses and love bites. Hux turned himself to the side in Ren’s lap. Ren hugged Hux tightly, breathing in the man’s sweaty scent. 

“You’re insane,” Ren said, now truly taking in the sight of Hux in lingerie with a blotchy red post-sex look. 

Hux pushed his hair out of his face. “Don’t scrutinize me.” 

“I’m not,” Ren said, placing a kiss on the corner of Hux’s lips. “I’m praising you.”

“That is a strange compliment.” Hux looked from side to side at his torn clothes and grit his teeth. “How the hell am I going to leave this room now? I have no clothes!” 

“I think the outfit you have on now is perfect,” Ren said, leaning in to kiss Hux on his chest between the bralette. He wondered what he would be like to rip off Hux’s lacy underwear with his teeth. Next time. 

“I should space you for being a degenerate.”

“If I recall, my Grand Marshal, you were the one crying in need of me.” 

“This doesn’t disapprove of the fact I should space you.” Ren swept Hux up and off the throne, throwing the Grand Marshal over his shoulder so his red, perky ass was in the air. Hux squealed and pounded his fist against Ren’s back. “If you carry me out I will kill you!” 

“I’ll make sure everyone looks away.” 

“I mean it Kylo!” 

Ren chuckled and gave Hux a pat on the rump. The great thing about being a Force user was that you could get away with a lot, including embarrassing one of the most powerful men in the First Order.

Ren learned to respect Hux’s wishes so he put him down, kissed his lips, and helped Hux cover up so they could return to their children. 

///

When Hux exited the shower and returned to his and Ren’s sleeping quarters, he found that Ren was fast asleep on top of their bed with a blob of white hair sitting upon his chest.

Galatea was sleeping on her daddy’s chest, soothed by the rise and fall of Ren’s strong lungs and the thumping of his caged heart. Ares, for some reason, was sleeping horizontally with a foot kicking Ren in the face and his head on Hux’s side of the bed.

Hux smiled to himself at the sight, then he mentally admonished himself for smiling. Being soft in the heart was what caused him so much trouble. But how was he not supposed to feel proud at such a lovely sight? 

Hux carefully got into the bed, moving Ares off his side. Ares whined and opened his eyes, glaring at his papa for disturbing his apparently very comfortable position. 

Ares moved so he was wedged in between Hux and Ren. Hux petted his head and shut his eyes, allowing the children to sleep in their bed another night. He realized Ares like to have his hair pet in a similar way that Ren did.

Ren had a strange look in his eyes as he watched his daughter sleep. The man twirled a strand of Galatea’s white hair with his finger. Hux shut his eyes, trying to think about when he first brought Galatea home. He felt guilt rise into his chest when he thought of her and that day he brought her from Quirinal. 

“Hux,” Ren’s voice said softly. Hux slowly opened his eyes, seeing that Ren was still awake. Ren had turned his head to face Hux; he didn’t have the luxury to sleep on his side while Galatea was using him as a pillow. 

“What?” 

“Thank you.” 

Hux blinked, unsure what Ren could possibly mean. Ren rarely extended his thanks and, when he did, it usually was in the strangest ways. 

“For what?” Hux asked, keeping his voice down to not awake Galatea and to let Ares fall back asleep. 

“You know, for a long time I thought had no one,” Ren began, surprising Hux. “My family didn’t understand me, Snoke only wanted to use me, hell even my knights were hardly mine. But you… you are something else. I would’ve thought this setup would be a curse, you and me together, but I can’t be apart from it now. So thank you. For staying. For not trying to change me.

Hux’s cheeks turned pink. The sentimentality was excruciating because Hux wanted to pretend there was some sort of wedge between them, but there wasn’t. They were partners through and through. It was ridiculous and improbable, but here they were. The only thing currently keeping them apart were the two children sleeping with them, reminding them of who they were _actually_ working for. 

“You are stupid if you think I’m not trying to change you. People change all the time. You are hardly the man I knew a few years ago,” Hux rebutted. He didn’t mean to be stubborn, but he couldn’t help it. Thankfully, Ren wasn’t offended. He just smirked. 

“I mean changing diapers will do that to someone.” Hux let out a giggle and covered his mouth. “You know what I mean though. Snoke, he… he wanted me to fit into this character I couldn’t be. Emotionless but powerful like my grandfather. I couldn’t. And Rey, she,” Galatea stirred and Ren quickly took in a deep breath believing she could probably sense his distress, “wanted to make me who Luke and General Organa wished I was. Some broken Jedi boy who just needed some help. But I’m not broken. I’m not.” 

“I know, darling, you don’t have to tell me. Besides,” Hux reached out and cupped Ren’s cheek. Hux could feel Ren’s scar from the Jedi girl against his palm and it filled him with a sort of aggression he usually didn’t feel, “why would I ever be attracted to some purist Jedi boy? The only man I’ve ever known is Kylo Ren, so that’s who I’ll stick with.”

“I’ve always been Kylo Ren,” Ren said a bit childishly. Hux rolled his eyes. 

“Blasted idiot— can you just let me speak? I know that. That’s what I’m _saying_.” Hux pinched his nose. Ren sniffled. “Oh Maker, are you crying now?”

“No,” Ren blubbered. Galatea stirred again, this time waking up. She sat up on Ren’s chest. 

“Go sleep!” she demanded. Hux smiled at her tenaciousness. She smacked her head back down on Ren’s chest. “Daddy, sleep.”

“I am,” Ren muttered, patting his daughter’s back.

He didn’t care what the Force was trying to tell him or torture him with. Galatea was his precious daughter, Ares was his brave son, and Hux was his partner (and soon to be fiancé, he hoped). The flashes of death or sorrow would not come to fruition, not as long as he was around. 

Sleeping in between the two most powerful men in the galaxy were their innocent children. They were not powerful in skill yet, but they were powerful in name. Ren dreamed of Naboo, where his children could grow up and Hux and he could grow old.

Because they would grow old; Ren would make sure of that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me screaming as I write filth!! leave a comment and a kudos. also, who is your favorite side character (Mitaka, KOR, and the kids count haha).
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter! I would love to have more kylux followers [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)


	14. Generation of Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am losing it and you all should know why. Also, I have a new fanfic I am working on called "The Haunting of Armitage Hux" so if you are interested in that check it out!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter has a lot of Resistance activity so OH YEAH PLOT EXPANSION
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos!

Unannounced, General Leia Organa strode up to Finn and handed him a pouch. Startled, Finn took the pouch in his hands and held it delicately as if it were made of glass. 

“General?” Finn questioned. 

“Open it,” she instructed. He awkwardly looked from side to side, but he was utterly alone with General Organa. 

Everyone else was off doing their chores for the day, and there was a lot to do. They knew the First Order was coming close to claiming Naboo, readying to pressure the current Queen out of her home so they could take the planet. It had been a debacle trying to find out why the Order was so keen on Naboo that they were trying not to destroy it, but it was only a matter of time before they raged war. 

Some of the civilians of Naboo cried for the Resistance’s help, but they still weren’t powerful enough to handle the First Order face to face as they wanted. The civilians cited that their past queen, Padme Amidala, would have never wanted her planet to fall into their hands. Leia recalled something her father, Bail Organa, said about Padme Amidala. He had mentioned her once as being the beginnings of the Rebellion. Now it felt like those words were being tarnished as Naboo fell into the Order’s hands.

It did not matter if Kylo Ren was her son, Naboo was not his to take. He had no claim over it, yet he was fighting for it as he deserved it and it tore Leia’s heart to know that her son was getting a planet of their family legacy but in a way that was also ruining it. 

Finn noticed Leia’s downcasted eyes and decided, somewhat nervously, to open her gift. Inside was a lightsaber. 

Finn’s eyes sparkled; he hadn’t held a lightsaber in a long time. He remembered how it felt to swing the saber at Kylo Ren, feeling like he was overcoming his demons. He did not defeat Kylo, and he wished he did because it would’ve saved everyone, Rey especially, a lot of trouble. 

He wasn’t ready then, but with this new lightsaber, he was feeling a lot more prepared. 

The cylindrical single-bladed lightsaber was light in his hands. It was silver with a copper color throughout it. Its neck a bit thinner than the rest of its body. The top where, he assumed, the blade popped out was designed with four ring-like structures. 

Finn held out the lightsaber and turned it on. A blue blade popped out and shined safely. Finn grinned from ear to ear and gave it a gentle swipe from side to side, careful not to touch anything with the blade. 

“Is this for me?” he marveled.

“Yes.” Leia paused, still smiling. “It was mine.”

Finn’s eyes widened and he turned off the lightsaber, holding it with both his hands and staring down at it. He sharply turned to General Organa. 

“Oh, I can’t take this if it’s yours. I can make my own, it’s all right,” Finn said, trying to offer Leia back her lightsaber. She shooed his hand away, putting her nose up. 

“You need it more than me,” she asserted. He couldn’t argue with his General, but he also felt a strange sense of guilt taking a family heirloom— a _Skywalker_ heirloom, nonetheless. “I gave it up a long time ago. I used to train with Luke, you know.”

“Really?” He wasn’t necessarily surprised that the sister of Luke Skywalker would have the Force abilities readily available to make her qualified to be a Jedi, but he didn’t think General Organa was all that interested in being a Jedi like Rey was. 

“Yes, after the war. I gave it up though when…” she trailed off as if to search for her words. “I sensed that Ben’s demise would be caused at the end of my Jedi path. I guess it didn’t matter though, in the end.”

Finn didn’t sympathize with Ren, not at all, but he did care about Leia. He knew she was battling her motherly love with her morals at times. She was always wise, but being wise didn’t always make someone happy. 

“I’m sorry,” he said in a small voice. She shrugged, knowing that Finn apologizing was unjust given what he had been through.

“Don’t be. I know that you could make your own lightsaber. Hell, you could make a million, but I want you to have this one. Think of it as a good luck charm and a promise to me,” General Organa told the young man. 

“A promise of what?” he asked, marveling at the object in his hand. 

“A promise that you’ll carry on.” Finn wasn’t completely sure what she meant, but he held the message in his heart. “You’re a good man, Finn. I’m glad Rey has someone like you. And Poe too, Force knows he needs it.”

His cheeks warmed, still unsure what she meant, but glad she was saying it. 

“Thanks, General.” 

“The lightsaber is also part of your mission. You and Rey will go.” 

“What’s the mission?” he asked, his voice even and professional. 

“I need you and Rey to go down and help some of the citizens of Naboo leave the planet, along with historical artifacts. They worry that the Order will destroy their culture and people, and I am too.” She sighed. “Once the Order lands there, I don’t think they’ll be getting it back. They’ll wipe out anyone who doesn’t fall in line.”

“You can trust us, General,” Finn assured. He always wanted to help people. It always felt like a way to make up for the fact his skin was ever forced into that stormtrooper armor. Though, Leia told him he had nothing to apologize for. He had a heart of gold, and hearing that from the leader of the Resistance made his heart swore and grow stronger.

“I’ll send you more details soon. For now, go tell Rey. She’s been… distant lately.” 

Leia was right: Rey had been acting very quiet and staying pretty solitary. Finn felt like he had something to do with that boy she saw in her vision, the one she tried to save on Ganja II. Ever since that mission, she had been distant like her head was in a galaxy far, far away. 

She wouldn’t tell Finn or even Leia what had happened and even Poe kept his mouth shut. It worried Finn about what she was keeping bottled up. 

“I’ll talk to her,” he promised. Leia placed her hands on his, making sure Finn knew what belonged to him now. 

“Thank you, Finn,” Leia said with a smile. 

Finn couldn’t sense the dread in her heart about what was going to come. She knew that once the Order landed on Naboo, something horrible would happen. She didn’t know what that would be but she could sense something awry. She assumed it was a bad thing. 

Her hope laid with Finn and Rey to carry forward for her when she knew she’d be too weak from all the fighting to do so. They had kind hearts, but their kindness could only extend so far. She hoped they were brave enough to keep facing the Order. Leia didn’t know if she could face her son after all he had done, but she felt like she had to. 

Somewhere in the galaxy, something called out to her. Her heart yearned to know what it was. She still felt like she was hearing a piece of Ben’s heart beating, his symphony playing the songs of how he has changed. 

She could not reach out to him. But something was trying to reach out to her. 

///

Naboo was a beautiful planet, lush with greenery and filled with history. Hux was very specific to Ren, telling him that they had to diminish the destruction they spread. Ren agreed for once, but for reasons, he did not disclose to Hux. 

They invaded the day Ares turned five and Galatea turned three. While Hux was pretty sure they were technically born on very different days, keeping track of the conversions of calendars from planet to planet to ship was difficult. Hux also didn’t celebrate borndays, but Ren wanted to. They decided that they’d hold their children’s borndays separately once they were established on Naboo; it would be simpler then. 

Galatea dressed in a fine black dress with golden trim. They tied her wild hair into a half ponytail and put a blood-red ribbon in her hair. Ares was dressed nicely in a little black uniform. Hux told him not to wipe the snot on his sleeve. 

They stood in front of Ren’s throne with a large First Order banner in the backdrop. Ren sat in a more pristine version of his black uniform and cape with the First Order emblem in the center of his chest in a chrome red finish. He had Galatea sitting on his knee, and her cheeks were as rosy as ever. 

Hux stood beside the throne with one hand on Ren’s shoulder and the other arm tucked behind his back. Ares stood in front of him with his hands dutifully at his side. Hux was wearing a white uniform with golden trim, standing out amongst the rest. He was permitted to wear a red cape and black belt to match his black gloves. 

They were having holos taken of them at Ren’s request. Hux didn’t ask when they needed holos but figured Ren was being rather sentimental. 

When the holos were done being taken, Galatea squirmed out of Ren’s lap and pulled at Ares’ hand. 

“I wanna play,” she said to her brother. Ares looked to Hux for approval. When Hux nodded his head, Ares made a goofy face at his little sister and began chasing her around the throne room. 

“Run! I’m a wampa! Roar!” he squealed as Galatea giggled and dashed around. 

Hux turned to Ren, seeing how intrigued Ren was with how their children played with one another. 

“Now, I’m rather surprised you aren’t down on Naboo trying to take the planet for yourself,” Hux said. Ren shrugged. 

“I rather spend time with the children.” That made Hux smile, which in turn made Ren feel proud of himself. “Besides, my Knights of Ren are down there making sure everything goes smoothly.” 

“You entrust them to make things go smoothly? We are doomed.” Ren frowned. “I’m only teasing, Ren. I wasn’t aware you had this piece ready for me.” 

Hux pulled at the white sleeves of his new outfit. He quite liked it, though he had no idea Ren had it made for him. 

“Today’s special isn’t it? We are claiming Naboo and our children grow older. Might as well take a holo to remember it,” Ren said, standing up. He put his finger under Hux’s chin to coax the Grand Marshal to tilt his head upwards. Their lips met in a short and sweet kiss. 

“Does this mean Ares will have a proper schooling experience? I am not sending him to Arkanis Academy by any means, and I would like to keep him, and Galatea, close by.”

“Anything you want, baby.”

“I want you to stop calling me baby.” 

“Daddy!” Galatea squealed, jumping up and crawling onto the throne excitedly to avoid being caught by her big brother. Ares made a funny growling noise and before he could try to chase Galatea onto the throne, Ren swept the boy off his feet. 

Galatea tossed her head back, giggling wildly. She sat on the throne, putting her hands to her cheeks. 

“No monsters will be chasing after my daughter,” he told Ares, letting the boy sit on his shoulders. 

“I was just pretending!” Ares giggled, clinging onto Ren’s hair. Ren grunted feeling Ares pull at his locks without consideration for his father’s feelings. 

“Would you like to see your new home?” Ren asked, trying to look up and back at his son. 

“New home?” Ares asked. Hux’s eyes widened and he looked up at Ren, realizing the gravity of the change they were about to go through.

The children had gone so long without living on real soil, they were unsure of what would happen when their feet touched the ground. Hux knew Ares liked exploring and Galatea liked gaining things, but that was nothing compared to sitting on a planet to call home.

Then Hux realized he hadn’t had a planet to call home in a long time. Arkanis was his birthplace, but it was hardly a home. He hadn’t been there since he was a child. Now, he was gaining Naboo, where Ren insisted they settle their roots and grow. 

Galatea crawled on the armrest of the throne and beckoned Hux to pick her up. Hux felt a little tug on his arm and realized Galatea was trying to pull him with the Force. He picked her up, looking into Ren’s eyes with a strange hopefulness. 

“Yes,” Ren told his son. “We are going to live on a nice planet where you can go to school and you and Galatea can play in a palace all day.”

“A palace!” Galatea cheered. 

“Would you like to see?” Ren asked them. Both children nodded their heads eagerly. Hux looked a bit apprehensive. Ren pushed a message into Hux’s brain using the Force, telling his dear Grand Marshal everything would be all right.

They walked to the bridge to look out the giant window that displayed their surroundings. The _Vanguard_ was stationed near the planet of Naboo, far enough away to safely stay out of the fray and out of the paths of escaping ships. Some ships were shot down if the pilots didn’t like how close they were getting to the starship. 

The planet of Naboo was a beautiful shade of blue-green that even the onslaught could not destroy. Ren was very specific to minimize the damage, although he told the troopers to be particularly rough with the native gungans. He figured Hux would not like them living near their palace, though they typically didn’t anyway. 

The bridge was busy but nobody paid attention to the children. They were more so ogling Hux in his new white uniform. Ren glared at the crew from over his shoulder and they all kept their heads down. 

Ares put his little hand against the transparisteel windows of the ship, staring at the distant planet. 

“It’s green and blue,” Ares observed. Ren put the boy down off his shoulders so he could smash his face against the glass. Hux sighed through his nostrils, not liking how Ares was smearing the window with his germs. 

“Yes,” Ren said passively. 

“Is it magic?” 

“What do you mean?”

Ares pressed his hand against the glass and focused on the planet far away. Galatea squirmed in Hux’s arms, whining. Hux patted her back.

Ren felt something move in the Force and his heart sank. His boot squeaked against the floor and Hux looked to him, concerned. Galatea clutched Hux’s chest tightly. Ares pulled away from the glass and turned to his fathers. 

“What is it?” Hux asked. 

“I… sensed something," Ren said.

“It’s magic,” Ares asserted. 

“It’s the Force, Ares,” Ren explained to him. He always told his children they had the Force, but they still often referred to it as ‘magic’ which annoyed him. He suspected it had something to do with Hux’s explanation of the Force. 

“Down there,” Ares said, pointing at the planet in the distance. 

They all stared at the planet; everyone’s gut twisted except Hux’s who was impervious to the Force’s messages and taunts. Ren knew that his children could sense something like he could, he just didn’t know if what they were sensing was dangerous. He liked to keep the danger far away from his children.

Then he felt it, that slight flicker in the Force, the one he felt on Jakku that night he slaughtered the village. 

They were down there. He knew they were. 

He wanted to sprint to his TIE fighter and let himself be known, but he looked to Hux and thought perhaps, this once, he could let someone else take care of those he wished to rid. 

Ares grabbed Ren’s pant leg, knowing who was down there as well. Ren swallowed audibly, his fingers twitching at his side.

 _Get rid of them or capture them_ , he called out to his Knights. They didn’t reply, but he could feel their agreement. 

///

Finn and Rey had already filed several civilians on shuttles and ships to get them off Naboo. The Millennium Falcon was hidden in the outskirts of Theed, the capital city of Naboo, where the First Order was trying to gain control. Chewbacca was idly waiting in the Falcon, anxious about the safety of his friends. 

Rey helped a handmaiden onto the Falcon. She had been helping the Resistance rescue her people off the planet, having been sending information to the Resistance for a few months. The Queen had already been evacuated, but not with Resistance’s help. 

“We can’t thank you enough,” Rey said to the handmaiden. She smiled sadly. 

“My sisters are still near the palace somewhere, our work is not done,” she said. 

“We’ll find them,” Finn assured her. She nodded her head. 

“Be careful, young Jedi. The dark siders are around. I think they are looking for you,” the handmaiden warned. 

Finn and Rey looked at each other with uncertainty. Finn contacted Poe with his comm, who was off taking civilians to a different ship with BB-8 and Rose. 

“Poe, watch out for the Knights of Ren,” Finn said into the comm. 

“ _Roger that! Is my ship still good?_ ” Poe replied. Rey scoffed. 

“Your ship?” she murmured sarcastically. 

“The Falcon is fine. Be quick, we gotta leave soon. I can see the _Vanguard_ out in the distance. It’s still far enough away but I don’t think they are going to be patient for much longer,” Finn said, turning off the comm. 

Finn and Rey glanced at one another and let out sighs. They had never dealt with the Knights of Ren before; the dark knights had always been in the background of Kylo Ren’s supremacy. They knew they’d know who they were once they spotted them. 

They were not deterred, though. They wanted to bring the handmaiden her sisters back to her safely before the Order found them. The Resistance knew the Order was taking out any political opponents on the planet, and that included the Queen’s handmaidens, her staff, and even her droids. 

They wished they could save everyone, but not everyone wanted to leave Theed. It was understandable though, why should anyone have to leave their home because of invaders? Many of the planets that the Order invaded did not have the Resistance’s help in the evacuation. Rescuing Naboo’s people was strategic though, they knew Naboo’s people have a special political hold and the connections to help them. 

Rey and Finn left the Falcon and carefully weaved through the city, hiding from the stormtroopers in dark alleyways and by going through connected homes and windows. Finn wished he had a method to save some of the stormtroopers too. He thought if he was good enough with the Force, he could break them out of their violent simplemindedness, but Leia insisted it wouldn’t work like that. 

People needed to have their own will to break out of their mindsets. Sometimes willpower was taken away from them, sometimes they never decided to use it. Finn wondered what would’ve happened if he didn’t have the Force. He questioned if he would’ve been able to not kill those people on Jakku that night: the night that started it all. 

“Let go!” a person yelled as a stormtrooper pulled them out of their home. Rey and Finn didn’t know who they were or why they were being forced to the ground, but they noticed that the three stormtroopers surrounding them were not being watched by their unit. 

The person, they noticed, was wearing part of the handmaiden’s outfit they were looking out for. She was missing her hood and her jewelry. 

Rey used her double-ended lightsaber like a boomerang, tossing it so it cut through two of the stormtroopers. The lone trooper gasped and turned around with his blaster in hand, releasing the handmaiden from his grip. The lightsaber returned to Rey’s hand. She was hooded in white, staring at the stormtrooper fiercely. The stormtrooper suddenly collapsed and Rey looked behind her to see that Finn had blasted the trooper in the chest. 

Finn grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “You know, you don’t have to do everything with so much flare.” 

She smirked and rolled her eyes. “What, I’m not allowed to use my skills? I am pretty sure Leia gave you that lightsaber for a reason.”

“Yeah but, it was so much easier to just shoot him.” Finn tucked the blaster back into his holster. 

They went to the handmaiden and helped her to her feet. She was shaking like a wet dog, frightened. She looked pretty young, perhaps only a teenager. She looked very much like the handmaiden that was their informant, so they realized they were literal sisters. 

“Are you okay?” Rey asked in a kind voice. She slowly nodded her head. 

“Here, I can take you back to the Falcon. Your sister is there,” Finn told her. She swallowed and mumbled a soft agreement. Finn looked to Rey. “You’ll be okay alone, right?”

“Of course,” she assured. Finn shifted his jaw. 

“Okay, I’ll come back soon,” Finn assured. He offered the handmaiden his arm and she quickly took it, desperate for someone to help her. “Let’s be quick.” 

They dashed off together while Finn gripped his lightsaber in his hand. 

Rey went off to search for the other handmaidens. She’s figured the Queen had taken a few with her during her escape, but they were still some unaccounted for. Besides it being the right thing to save them, they also held extensive political information that could help the Resistance. 

As Rey quietly walked through the city, she began to feel a nervous itch at the back of her neck. It felt like someone was following her but every time she looked over her shoulder, nobody would be there. 

She found a garden surrounded by pews. Taking in a deep breath, she focused her energy and searched for the cause of her anxiety. 

_Be with me, be with me_ , she chanted into the lightness of the Force. She could hear blaster fire and screams and the distance commands of officers. She could still sense Finn from a distance as he protected the young handmaiden from being spotted by stormtroopers. 

Then she felt it, an energy that felt foreign yet familiar at the same time. It was watching her like a big cat watching a rodent, waiting to strike. A Knight of Ren was watching her from somewhere. She honestly was glad it just wasn’t Kylo Ren. 

She felt the energy move quickly and her eyes opened, quickly putting up her dual-ended lightsaber to block the sudden blow of something against her. 

In front of her was a Knight of Ren, no doubt, wearing a completely black outfit much akin to the robes Ren would wear. Their mask was designed with a grid shape. Rey noticed that they were holding a scythe that was pushing into the blue of her lightsaber, yet the scythe’s blade wouldn’t crack against the saber. Whatever material it was made of was made to be resistant against the harsh fiery burn of a lightsaber. 

Rey twisted, forcing the knight to stumble back a step. Rey whirled her lightsaber in her hand, showing off the dual-ended blades. The knight was still, observing her. It creeped her out. She knew that she’d have to hurry along; no doubt there’d be other Knights of Ren coming close with this one nearby. 

The knight didn’t say anything, they just attacked again, swinging their scythe with expert precision. Rey was effective in blocking their swings, even able to try to take a few jabs of her own. The knight spun, nearly slicing Rey across the eye. She noticed they were aiming near the same area that she had given Ren a scar; she didn’t know if this was coincidental. 

The double-bladed lightsaber helped deflect the Knight’s quick blow to various points on Rey’s body, but she was having difficulty finding an opening. The knight swiped again, holding the scythe to the side, and Rey smacked the scythe right out of the knight’s hands with the impact of the lightsaber to the staff. The knight pulled back, dropping the scythe to not meet the blade of Rey’s saber.

They stared at each other for a moment, panting. The knight reached behind their hip and pulled out their own lightsaber that was hidden behind their robes. The hilt of the lightsaber was quite elegant and featured a crossguard. Unlike Ren’s saber, their crossguard was not made of an unstable kyber crystal’s burn but was instead made to protect their hands from going too close to the blade itself. 

The knight turned on their saber which shimmered a stable red. From a distance with them both standing still, Rey noticed that the knight was quite short, especially in comparison to Kylo Ren’s height. It unnerved Rey, but they didn’t know why. 

They charged at each other again. Fighting the Knight of Ren was different than fighting Kylo, that much was obvious. This knight was quicker on their feet and more limber than their hulking Master. Rey thought their fighting styles to be a bit similar. 

The Knight of Ren’s blade collided with Rey’s, the two colors zapping against each other. They leaned to the side, still pushing their blades. The knight dared to try to kick Rey in the side with their foot, forcing Rey to step back. Rey didn’t fight many people with lightsabers, so she could safely say she wasn’t used to fighting people who combined traditional combat with their saber. 

She did notice, though, that the Knight wouldn’t use the Force on her. Rey swiped her lightsaber against, this time being more aggressive so the Knight had no choice but to be defensive. Rey followed the Knight’s lead, this time catching them off guard when she kicked their feet out from under them. She almost wanted to laugh victoriously. 

The knight made a noise as they hit the pavement, rolling on their back. The knight leaned forward, propping themselves up on their arm, extending their lightsaber outward. Rey pointed her lightsaber at the knight’s face, glaring and panting. 

“I wouldn’t try anything,” she warned. They didn’t move. “Tell me why the First Order is invading Naboo.” 

They were quiet and Rey pushed her lightsaber closer to the knight’s face. She wasn’t even sure if the knight could talk. 

Instead, she reached out with the Force, frustrated, and tried to dig into the knight’s mind. The Knight of Ren suddenly grabbed the wrist of Rey’s extended hand as if to try to manually stop her from digging around. 

Something about being touched by the knight only made her see better into their mind. Rey saw an image of a green surrounding and a black sleeve that had a little hand clung to it.

Then she saw a flash of someone running in a flowing dress, afraid and desperate until they saw a glowing blue blade at the end of the hall. 

“ _You’re mine now,_ ” said a voice, almost familiar. It made Rey feel sick. 

Then she saw it: a burning landscape and a hooded figure in the distance. Someone tugged her away, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to leave. 

“ _Just let them die_ ,” Rey heard. 

When she awoke from her Force-related trace, she was falling to the ground on her back to see the Knight had gotten to their feet. Rey grunted, turning off her saber to make sure she didn’t roll on it. 

The Knight of Ren, seemingly infuriated, was more aggressively trying to stab Rey wherever they could. Rey rolled out of the way but had trouble getting to her feet. 

The Knight tried to press their saber into Rey’s skull but Rey used the Force to prevent them from moving closer, though it was difficult. She winced at the effort of trying to stop the red lightsaber from colliding with her head. 

“Who are you?” Rey asked, sweating. Somehow, she felt intrigued by the Knight of Ren. She forgot there was someone under there, someone perhaps with memories of their own and their own agency. 

“I could ask the same to you,” the voice said, distorted by a vocoder. While the voice was a bit gender-ambiguous, Rey had to guess the knight was a woman by the shape of their concealed body, their tone, and their size. 

She wondered if this was supposed to be her fate if she had joined Ben. Just another pawn for him to use. 

Rey tilted her chin up at the knight’s blade. 

“I sense something troubling you,” Rey said bravely, knowing she was playing with fire. 

“Aren’t you the one who sympathized with my Master which almost ultimately led to the destruction of the Resistance?” she taunted. Rey didn’t think of it like that but the woman did strike guilt into her heart. “I wonder if my Master will reward me for killing you.” 

Rey could feel her power wane, growing tired from using the Force to keep the lightsaber blade away from her face. The blade crept ever the more closer as Rey grew more tired. She gasped as the saber was close enough to burn off a loose strand of her hair. 

“Rey!” someone yelled. 

Suddenly, the Knight let out a pained noise and whipped around, looking at their back. They doubled over, realizing they had been shot with a blaster. Rey quickly took her saber and with one end swept it upwards, cutting the Knight of Ren’s mask across the forehead. 

The knight fell backward and rolled onto their hands and knees, their mask steaming. 

Finn ran over to Rey just as TIE fighters sored overhead, shooting at something they couldn’t see. They knew they had to leave soon. 

“Are you all right?!” Finn fretted, helping Rey to her feet. She nodded and looked down at the Knight of Ren who was shaking in pain. 

They had turned their lightsaber off and was laying on the ground, trying to rip off their helmet. The cut Rey had put through it must’ve snagged onto some sort of internal mechanism in the helmet, causing it to release smoke. 

Rey cautiously approached the Knight of Ren leaned over her. Finn stayed still, unsure of why Rey would ever approach such a dark creature. Rey pulled the helmet off of the knight’s head.

She looked into the knight’s eyes and the knight looked back, agitated but hurt and unable to do anything. The knight was just a girl, a girl like her, still full of youth. Her dark brown hair looked black in the shadows and the strands were escaping from its braided crown that sat on top of her hair. There was some blood on her forehead and a cut on her lip. The girl coughed, glaring at Rey. Rey and Finn were both gaping at her. 

“What?” she grumbled like they shouldn’t have been surprised. 

“Why is Ren taking over Naboo?” Finn asked her firmly. She slammed her head against the ground as if she was trying to concuss herself. 

“You know you could’ve just left the helmet on my head so I would’ve just suffocated to death or something,” she said sardonically. It felt weird that she was sarcastic and nonchalant about everything. 

“And yet we didn’t,” Rey replied. 

“It would’ve been better than dealing with my Master afterward,” she muttered, her head lulling to the side sleepily. 

Rey and Finn looked at each other, almost sympathizing with her. It didn’t help that she looked to be about Rey’s age; it seemed like a distorted mirror. 

“Answer the question,” Finn said. She paused and opened her mouth but then stopped just as her lips parted, smirking. 

A rain of blaster fire stormed down on them, sending Finn and Rey sprinting for cover. Up in the shadows of a tall building, they could sense a dark side hiding and trying to shoot them down. Another Knight of Ren jumped from a high point and landed next to the lady knight, tossing something spherical toward them. 

It beeped near their feet and Finn grabbed Rey, forcing her to duck down. He covered her head with his body as it exploded, though the explosion itself was fairly small while the cloud of smoke that enveloped the area. 

“Forget it, let’s go!” Rey coughed, grabbing Finn’s hand so the two of them could sprint off back to the ship. They left the lady knight to whatever demise she was destined for, though there was no telling with the cloud of smoke that enveloped her. 

As they ran off back to the Falcon, they both couldn’t stop thinking about the Knight of Ren. She was young. Rey was young. Finn was too. They wondered if she had been plucked like a little flower when she was a child so that her Force powers could be harnessed. Rey wondered if that’s what Ben wanted from her. Finn wondered why so many children in the galaxy went missing and nobody went to find them. 

Back on the Millennium Falcon, Finn yelled at Chewie to punch it and they quickly sped off, weaving through the chaos of the city. They needed to jump into hyperspeed away from the _Vanguard_ in case the ship tried to pull them in. Poe and Rose were both safe in the ship, both tending to the startled but strong handmaidens that were almost left behind.

When they two saw Finn and Rey, they let in unsteady breaths. Rey never told Finn about the little boy she saw Kylo Ren take. She wanted to tell Poe about the young Knight of Ren, but he was clueless to the Force. She didn’t know what to do with the information given to her.

As they passed into space, getting ready to jump into hyperspeed, Rey felt the Force shift. She climbed into the cockpit where Chewbacca and Poe had made themselves comfortable. BB-8 greeted her and she gave a thin-lipped smile. 

Rey looked out the Falcon into the galaxy, waiting for the feeling to come back to her. She knew the feeling too. 

_Ben?_ she asked, though she was unsure why she was still using that name. 

_No?_ the voice answered, confused. She took in a deep breath. It was the little boy, the one from Batuu and Ganja II. He was still alive. 

_Who are you? Where are you?_ she tried to ask him, feeling their connection weaken. 

_I’m going home_ , he told her, then their connection was gone. 

She hopelessly thought of Naboo and pressed her palms to her face, letting out a soft sob. She was too overwhelmed by it all, but she still didn’t know why she was crying. 

Chewbacca and Poe quickly turned around to comfort her. Finn rushed into the cockpit, sensing her distress. 

“Rey, what’s wrong?” Finn asked, gently putting his hands on her forearms. She buried her face into his shoulder and whimpered. 

“I don’t know,” she said, feeling a bit raggedy. Poe stared at her sympathetically. Chewbacca offered some kind roars, trying to tell her she’d be okay.

She was among her family, after all, but it still hurt her to know there were so many out there like her who didn’t find what she had. She was scared she’d still be drawn to the dark side. She was scared of whatever was hiding inside of her.

In Finn’s arms, she felt the light side become even stronger and warmer. They hugged each other tightly, grateful they were not alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess) I also put a graphic I made for my "The Haunting of Armitage Hux" picture on twitter [on twitter](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess/status/1323026214395777031)
> 
> so what do we think of the Resistance getting a little too close? What about Ren's dumb plan to woo Hux by giving him.. a whole planet...
> 
> leave a comment ily!! take some time for self care


	15. Better Than Diamonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally some fun and fluff... listen I am updating two fics at once so updates may be random but it really helps to see you guys encourage me and leave fun comments omg.
> 
> anyway here is some witty kylux banter and family cuteness... as cute as a dark side family can be i guess??? cute for us not so cute for the Resistance 
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos it means a lot!

There was someone waiting outside his throne room, too nervous to enter. He could sense them, idly waiting behind the door, wondering if they should enter or not. It must’ve annoyed the stormtroopers. 

Kylo Ren was bored waiting for their invasion of Theed to finish. Hux was watching a holo of messages from delegates over a holoprojector. They all shared their worries or successes, giving Hux a headache of his own. 

They had retired the children to their nursery to rest. Of course, there was a droid to watch them and they had plenty of nanny cams to watch them on their datapads, just in case. 

Growing annoyed that the presence would not just go away, Ren opened the door using the Force and found General Engell standing behind it. He was surprised it was her, though she wasn’t usually so apprehensive. 

She entered the room and saluted them. Hux turned off the projector and let his face darken. Ren leaned to the side and rested his face on his hand. 

“What?” he barked, watching her attempt not to flinch. Her head looked a bit moist. 

“Sir, there’s a request for your presence and it is an emergency,” General Engell said, her head slightly bowed. He raised an eyebrow. If it was about Naboo he thought he’d actually strangle her; he needed everything to go well so he could finally have proof that he would be a valuable husband to Hux. 

“Is that so?” Ren said through his teeth. Hux glanced at Ren, wondering if he’d snap at her. 

“Yes sir, it’s quite urgent. Your Knights of Ren dragged her in and she’s putting up a bit of a fight to leave,” General Engell explained. “Captain Mitaka told me to send the message.”

Ren jumped to his feet, his eyes widening. Hux’s lips parted slightly, believing for a moment Engell was talking about the scavenger, but then Hux realized who Engell truly meant. 

“Get out of my way,” Ren said darkly, storming out of the way. Hux followed him, quickly catching up to his Supreme Leader and putting a hand on his arm, trying to be comforting. His comfort was mainly so Ren would blow a fuse and destroy everything on his way to the medbay.

When they passed a pair of stormtroopers, Ren used the Force to slam them against the wall. Hux frowned.

“Ren, you mustn’t hurt our troopers just because you're upset!” Hux criticized. 

“Shut up.”

Hux snarled, though he still was holding onto Ren’s arm. “Excuse me?”

“Just shut up.” For once, Hux did. He clenched his jaw and let the Supreme Leader be angry for once. 

They strode into the ship’s medbay which was busier than usual. In the hall the Knights of Ren were waiting idly, taking up a lot of space. 

They all turned to their Master, staring. Hux awkwardly stayed at Ren’s side, unsure if they were performing Force witchcraft to communicate.

Suddenly, all the knights cleared out of the hall and headed away from the medbay. Ren pushed into the room the knights had been guarding, forcing the door open. 

On the medical table was Arla; she was laying on her stomach with a med droid hovering over her and putting a bandage on her lower back. She was shirtless but laying on her stomach to prevent her breasts from being exposed. Arla turned her face, giving them both a good look at the bandage already wrapped around her head. She groaned and pushed her face into the cheap pillow she was supplied. 

“What happened?” Ren asked, telling the doctor in the room to get out as soon as he spotted him. The med droid stayed, but Ren rather not have anyone or anything look at his exposed Knight of Ren. “I thought I told you to lay low!”

Arla let out another groan in response. “You said to get the Jedi girl.” 

“Jedi girl?” Hux said, frowning at Ren. Ren pretended not to see; Arla wasn’t supposed to mention Rey with Hux around. 

As much as Ren had more personal issues with her, he also knew that Hux was extremely irritated by Ren’s efforts to always go after her since his efforts almost always went awry. Arla’s injuries were proof of that. 

Ren picked up the medisensor to check Arla’s condition. She was stable, but she clearly wasn’t comfortable. 

“What happened,” he demanded again of the med droid. 

“Patient received a blaster shot to the right side of their lower back. Part of the blaster shot was absorbed by her clothing, but it still penetrated. The wound has been cleaned and is healing with bacta. It should only leave a small scar, but the skin may be rough when she touches it,” the droid said. 

“And her face?” Ren asked.

“I’m right here, you know,” Arla grumbled, her words lazy. 

“She described that a lightsaber sliced through the forehead of her helmet, causing an internal device to also malfunction. Small helmet fragments have been removed from her head and bacta has been applied. It will scar over, but the scar won’t be too visible and should be a similar color to her skin.” 

Ren turned sharply to Arla, clenching his fist. Hux let out a sigh; he was glad she was all right but he knew Ren was still upset. Hux still didn’t understand their relationship. He always seemed irritated by her, yet he’d never really lash out at her and treated her in a matter Hux regarded as special. He credited it to her youthfulness, but he didn’t know why that would matter rather than Ren’s new fatherly instinct was spreading to his Knights. 

He could see from Ren’s trembling hand and grimacing face that he was concerned for her, yet he looked like he wanted to blow. Hux lovingly put a hand on Ren’s back, trying to tell him to relax. 

“Yeah, now we can have matching scars, Master,” Arla said with a stupid grin on her face. She couldn’t hold her head up long and rested on her chin, staring at the blank wall ahead of her. 

“It won’t be the same scar. Our Supreme Leader’s scar is more visible in texture and color and in a different spot,” the med droid said, unable to read the atmosphere. Ren grumbled to himself. 

“If she is stable, leave the room for now,” Hux told the droid so it wouldn’t be able to further irritate Ren’s already unstable emotions. The droid left the room at the Grand Marshal’s request. 

Once the droid left, Ren got closer to the table Arla was laying on and poked her in the head. She whined and lazily lifted her hand to try to smack his hand away. 

“Don’t poke me like I’m dead,” she complained, though she couldn’t move away. Ren ran his hand through his hair. 

“You could’ve died because of your carelessness,” he criticized. She scoffed. 

“Technically I was just doing what you told me.”

“I didn’t tell you to lose.”

“I’m sorry, how many wins do you have against the Jedi girl? Fucking asshole,” she swore, gritting her teeth. 

“What did you say to me?” Ren growled, putting his hand out with the intent of using the Force on her. Hux grabbed Ren’s wrist and looked into his eye, glaring. Ren sighed and snapped his hand back against his side. 

“She’s hopped up on pain relievers, Ren, her head isn’t clear. Look at her,” Hux told him. Ren stared at Arla, seeing how her head lulled from side to side and her eyelashes fluttered sleepily. 

“Yeah I can’t feel a thing,” she chuckled. “I want to sleep.” 

“Don’t sleep on your face,” Ren told her. 

“Well, I can’t sleep on my back right now. My boobs are out.” Hux and Ren looked at her funny. “Like I know you two aren’t interested in that but it’s still embarrassing.” 

“Is this what’s going on in your head when you aren’t on painkillers?” Ren grumbled. 

“I don’t know,” she slurred out. “Where’s my drink? Where’s my shirt?” 

They hadn’t a clue what she was talking about. Hux leaned against a wall, crossing his arms and watching how Ren looked over the young Knight of Ren with care. Hux knew that Ren worried about her in his own weird way. He was lamenting over her injury, wishing he had been down there with her to help her. Hux also knew Ren selfishly wanted to fight the Jedi girl himself, perhaps even a little jealous Arla got the chance to nearly murder her.

Ren put his hand in her hair, checking her bandage. Unable to resist her master, Arla let him observe her injuries. She frankly didn’t care either, the knights were rather impersonal about themselves and viewed being unclothed in front of each other with boredom. 

“Why did you fight alone?” Ren asked her softly. Hux was surprised at his gentle tone; it made him blush. 

“Why do you always fight alone then?” she retorted. She moved her head, trying to look at Hux. “Your boyfriend is touching a half-naked woman, how do you feel?”

Ren flicked her in the side of the head and she whined. He was blaming it on the painkillers but he had a theory she was conscious enough to know she could possibly get away with being snarky to the Supreme Leader. 

“Didn’t I tell you to lay low? None of the other knights cause this much trouble. You are a public nuance,” Kylo said.

“I learned from the best!” she teased, gritting her teeth. “And that’s a bald-faced lie and you know it. Gyro Ren literally sticks his fucking dick into anything with a pulse.” 

Before Ren could fume at her, the doors slid open. Hux removed his fingers from his temples and they all looked over to see Captain Dopheld Mitaka standing in the doorway. Mitaka's face immediately turned white when he saw Kylo Ren and Hux were there.

He was holding a tray which he almost dropped when he saw that Kylo Ren’s eyes were burning into his soul. Arla tried to sit up, unthinking, but Ren pushed her back down so that there would be no exposure. 

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Ren yelled at the Captain. Mitaka offered an awkward smile, glancing at Hux instead. Arla rolled her eyes. 

“Oh for Force sake, he’s just brought me a shirt! Would you relax?” Arla said. She lifted her head more and gestured for Mitaka to come in. Ren was shocked to see Mitaka actually listen to her rather than cower from a safe distance away from them. 

Ren took a step back and watched as Mitaka handed Lady Arla a black shirt. She snatched it away, still laying on down. 

She glanced among the group of men staring at her. They looked at each other, taking the hint, and Hux and Mitaka turned around. Kylo went to her and helped her up. She let out a pained sigh, her face contorting in pain. Kylo glared daggers into the back of Mitaka’s head, giving him a little push with the Force to warn him to not turn around. 

Once she had a shirt on, she leaned on Ren for support to hold her up. Hux and Mitaka turned back around, intrigued yet discomforted by the two Force users interacting. 

“Captain, since you unexpectedly entered with no logical reason, perhaps you can tell me when you informed General Engell to fetch me,” Ren sneered, watching all the remaining color drain from Mitaka’s face. The Captain swallowed.

“Ah, I couldn’t reach you or the Grand Marshal and Lady Ren was distressed and requested my assistance so I couldn’t leave her,” Mitaka explained. Hux rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to put together the pieces of what Mitaka was implying with every word. 

Ren let out a ‘hmph’ and let go of Arla. She laid back down on the table on her back. The wound on her back felt painless with all the medication she was on and she seemed to fall asleep right on the spot. Ren stared down at her. 

“What you see here is extremely private, do you understand? The crew doesn’t know the appearance of my Knights of Ren. Don’t tell but if you must, say she’s in my political cabinet and let them decipher what that means,” Ren instructed Mitaka rather professionally. Hux was impressed Ren could think intelligently when he was angry. 

“Yes sir,” Mitaka said, bowing his head. 

Hux’s comlink began to buzz. Both men looked at Hux as if they had been disrupted. Hux answered the comlink to see one of his Generals on the other end. 

“Grand Marshal, sir!” the General announced. “Naboo’s forces have surrendered and are looking to negotiate the terms of the overtake.” 

Hux’s expression brightened and he stared at Ren with swelling pride. Ren’s eyes sparkled. The two of them strode out of the room, not thinking about dismissing Mitaka or continuing to press him on why he felt the need to be the one to watch over Arla Ren. 

As they walked the halls to the bridge, Hux communicated with his General. 

“We will be taking nothing less than complete control. The Supreme Leader and I will be landing in Theed in approximately five standard hours to look over the damage and the riches. I expect the palace to be ready and for an overhaul begin,” Hux instructed. 

The bridge was bustling with movement, but everyone stopped when Hux and Ren entered the room. They all stared at the two men for a moment, uncertain of what to do, then slowly everyone began saluting their bosses. 

Hux straightened his back and Ren narrowed his eyes at everyone. They were screaming with joy on the inside, but both knew better than to express it. 

The men walked to the window to stare down at the planet they had successfully overtaken. Naboo would not technically be ready for them for a few standard days, but it was theirs. They would have to negotiate a peace and begin their overhaul, but other than that, they had been successful. 

Success felt strange. They knew its flavors before, but this was entirely different. This was a home they won, a future for their children. This was a royal serving that they could eat up with pride. This was their victory, together. 

They were a bit surprised Naboo didn’t put up more of a fight, but the Order has been internally breaking Naboo’s government from the inside for a few years now. The political unrest and stress made it so they were not prepared for an invasion. Had this been a different Queen, they probably wouldn’t have been successful. 

A lovely hopelessly was shared between them. Ren reached for Hux’s hand and gripped it. Hux flinched but then relaxed into his partner’s touch. They rarely were affectionate in public, but this was a special moment. Their gloved hands did not stop them from feeling the heat of the other’s skin. They both were a little nervous. 

They went back to their chambers and readied their children to take a peek at Naboo. They wouldn’t let their children live on Naboo for a few days until the palace on Theed was fully renovated to fit the men’s aesthetic (and was completely childproof). 

Ren brushed Galatea’s hair back into a ponytail after she ruined her previous updo. He thought about asking Hux about Quirinal again but refrained. He knew he would ruin the exciting energy if he asked about Galatea. He would just have to accept his daughter’s strange history for now.

He kissed Galatea’s cheek at her request and lifted her into his arms, trying not to wrinkle her dress to avoid Hux’s side-eye. 

“Where we going dada?” Galatea asked, clinging to him. 

“The palace, remember?” Kylo said to her. 

“Is papa coming?” 

“Yes.”

“Ish Ree?” she said. Her nickname for Ares made Ren’s heart flutter. He thought it was cute they got along. He hated to admit it, but his children were a bit opposite to him it seemed. Hux wished she could pronounce his name which made Ren roll his eyes; she was just a baby. 

Hux poked his head into the nursery. Ares was hiding behind his papa’s legs, fidgeting in his nice outfit. 

“Should I not wear white? It’s a bit flashy,” Hux fretted. Ren rolled his eyes.

“It’s fine. And, as your Supreme Leader, I command you to wear it.”

Ren was teasing him but immediately got nervous when Hux frowned at him. 

“You don’t need to command me, you know?” Hux said.

“I’m just… joking. Technically, I can command you.” Hux raised his brows at Ren and rolled his eyes. Thankfully Galatea broke the silence by pulling Ren’s hair and asking for juice. 

“No juice,” Ren said to his daughter, who frowned the same way Hux did. 

Perfect. 

///

They took a shuttle to Naboo and avoided places where the smoke was still rising. There were stormtroopers and officers all over the planet, cleaning up and taking names and pulling people into ships and other buildings. Their shuttle parked close to the palace; there was a space already made for them to land.

Someone had literally readied a red carpet for them as their shuttle door opened. Ren had to grab Ares’ wrist to prevent the young boy from sprinting off on his own. They carefully descended down the ramp, their children in their hands. Galatea babbled to Hux in his arms, asking incoherently about the new lands. 

They could see their children’s bright expressions and their wonder light up across their faces. Ares sniffed the air like a dog, smelling the mix of smoke and natural flora floating around. Galatea felt the breeze against her face and smiled brightly. 

Hux gently put Galatea on the ground, keeping her close but letting her feet touch the earth. She stomped her feet then laughed, deciding this would be a fine planet to play games on. 

Kylo felt stronger with his children so happy. He felt impassioned by Hux’s soft expression and his pride. It wasn’t every day that Hux was impressed, especially by Ren. 

Kylo put his hand out to his lovely Grand Marshal who was still dressed dashingly in white. He was already imagining how great the sex was going to be tonight. Hux tended to go a little wilder when he felt victorious and was impressed by Ren’s strength. Somehow, Hux found Ren’s competence sexy. Ren didn’t know if that was an insult to how ‘competent’ he usually was though. 

Hux grabbed Ren’s hand and letting Ren lead him around. The children followed closely, but occasionally made dashes to peek into chests or look at plants or touch new things before their fathers could yell at them. 

The palace was already bustling with men renovating it and taking a tally on the artifacts within it. Hux sighed through his nostrils, impressed.

“They are very quick to clean up, Kylo,” Hux observed, smirking a little.

“I am well prepared,” Ren said passively, trying to hide how hard his heart was thumping in his chest. Did Hux know he wanted to propose soon? Did he think this was his grand gesture?

“It seems so. Much to my surprise,” Hux teased, releasing Ren’s hand and going over to one of the troopers inside and asking for the damages to the palace as if to test how well Ren’s commanded the strike. 

Both children dashed back to Ren and squealed.

“Daddy, this whole room is in our house?!” Ares gasped, spinning in circles and looking at the high ceiling. 

“Yes,” Ren said, putting his hand on Ares’ head to stop the boy from becoming too dizzy. 

“Let’s go to blue!” Galatea cheerily demanded, pulling on Kylo’s cape. Kylo raised an eyebrow.

“Blue?” 

“Lake,” Ares clarified, pointing toward a window. Ren rubbed his chin. His children had never seen a large body of water up close, let alone swim in one. 

It was not a hot day on Naboo, though the temperature was fine enough for a refreshing dip. He figured Hux would not be fond of dipping his toes into the waters and feel its cold bite. Then again, feeling a bite was better than feeling nothing. He didn’t know the last time Hux felt the earth of a beautiful planet either. The man rarely did things like travel for mere pleasure. 

Ren smiled softly at his children. They had given him a wonderful idea. 

He strode up to Hux with Galatea and Ares following close behind. They were obnoxiously gripping his cape, though Ren did not chastise them for it. Hux looked up at his partner, raising an eyebrow at his stiff stature. The cadet Hux was speaking to was awkwardly pretending to not notice the Supreme Leader standing over them.

“Dismiss yourself,” Ren said rudely. The cadet scurried off quickly. Hux reached up and squeezed Ren’s aquiline nose. Ren cringed and pulled his face away, though he found the gesture to have a fondness that he couldn’t get enough of. 

“Don’t intimidate my cadets. I am planning to move quite a bit of staff here! I rather know they won’t be anxious knowing you’re around,” Hux said.

“What am I for if I’m not to make your bootlickers cry?” Ren joked, though his flat tone made it rather difficult to understand it was a joke. Hux knew Ren well enough at least. 

“Apparently you are for bringing me planets,” Hux smirked and Ren felt his cheeks warm. Hux put his hand to the side of Ren’s face. “Good work, Supreme Leader.”

Hux praise made his heart tremble. He loved the man so much, it should’ve been unbelievable. It was unbelievable most likely, he didn’t think people would see them as a suitable couple because of their bickering and relationship beginnings. But Ren knew he was lucky to have Hux; nobody would ever understand him as Hux did. 

“Thanks,” Ren said with a slight tremble in his voice. “Let them do their work, let me take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“To a lake I know on this planet.” 

“Lake, lake!” Ares cheered. Hux couldn’t decline at that.

Ren scooped Galatea up into his arms and she giggled. He led his family to a shuttle and they all got in it together. Hux strapped all the children in, eyeing Ren somewhat curiously.

“We will probably need a shuttle specifically for us. And speeder bikes, though I don’t want the kids on them until they are old enough,” Hux told Ren.

“I rode a speeder when I was a youngling, Hux. I think our kids can do it.” Hux frowned. 

“Now don’t get cocky, Supreme Leader. Just because their fathers are ruling the universe doesn’t mean our children are invincible.”

Ren grinned and sat down, ready to fly the ship. Hux sat next to him as his co-pilot, and somehow he couldn’t feel more flattered by Hux’s presence. Hux rarely flew ships— Ren wasn’t even sure if the man remembered how. 

“I will make sure they are invincible.” It sounded more like a threat than a loving, fatherly promise. 

Ren drove the shuttle to a secluded area near a vast lake that shimmered like a diamond under Naboo’s sun. Its untouched appearance and gentle movements were enough to make one forget that stormtroopers were still trying to put out smoke in Theed.

Hux had no idea how Ren knew of this spot. He had to assume Ren had previously visited the planet and scoped out the spot, but why? Hux, despite his great mind, could not theorize why the great Kylo Ren would waste time finding a parking spot near a lake even if he had been carefully planning to make Naboo their home. Surely, he had to have some strange tourist guidebook. 

Once the shuttle was parked and they offloaded, the children made a straight dash for the lake. They squealed and Hux yelled at them to stay away from the water. They stopped right where the water likes at the dry dirt and stared at the clear waters.

Ren put a hand on Hux’s shoulder, leading him to the water. He could sense Hux was tense about letting the children out into the galaxy: it was a dangerous place. But Ren would protect them. He had to. 

It was a beautiful lake. Ren could feel Hux’s shoulders relaxed as he stared out into the water. Somehow, Ren felt a gentle wave of sorrow pass over Hux but when Ren looked at the red head’s face, the sorrow was gone. 

“Do you two want to go swimming?” Ren asked. Galatea and Ares spun around and ran up to Ren and Hux, nodding and cheering. Hux’s face twisted in distress.

“I don’t think…” 

“It will be fine, Hux,” Ren assured. He sat on the ground and patted his thigh. “Ares come here, let's take off your shoes.” 

“His clothes will be wet,” Hux continued to fret. 

“I’ll roll up his pant legs.” Hux didn’t know why Ren was so patient, but it was admittedly charming. 

Ren removed Ares’ shoes and socks and rolled up the young child’s pant legs to his knees. Galatea was less patient than her brother, already trying to throw off her shoes herself and struggling to undo the clasps. Hux caved in and removed the girl’s shoes and socks before she rolled into the lake. 

The Supreme Leader removed his own boots as well and, when the kids were ready, he held their little hands and walked to the water with them. Hux stayed back, watching the mixture of sun and shade from the surrounding trees turn his family into a picture worth painting. Ren didn’t have to walk that far for the water to already be at Galatea’s knees but she didn’t care that her dress got wet, so Ren kept walking until Ares’ knees were wet. 

The children giggled and looked down at the water, watching their toes wiggle under the distorted ripples of the lake. Galatea stuck her hand in the water and squealed at the chill, pulling her hand back quickly and wiping it on Ren’s pants. Hux watched with amusement.

“Papa!” Ares called. Hux looked toward his son. “Come here!”

“I don’t want to get wet, Ares,” Hux replied.

“Pa!” Galatea called with her brother, demanding Hux come to. Ren just smirked, knowing his children were the only ones who could persuade Hux with a few simple words. 

“Oh, fine,” Hux exasperated, removing his boots and socks and slowly walking into the water. He cringed at the cool chill, but then easily made it to Ren and the kids. 

“So brave,” Ren joked. Hux reached over and squeezed Ren’s cheeks. Ren huffed through his nose. 

“Watch it,” Hux teasingly warned. 

Ares suddenly screamed and ran through the water toward Hux, trying to jump on him. Hux caught Ares and pulled the boy up into his arms, now soaked in water. Hux frowned at his son, groaning in annoyance. Ren just chuckled. 

“A fish touched me!” Ares whined, pointing down into the water. 

For some reason, Galatea thought pushing her face into the water was a good way to see the fish. Much of her white hair and her entire face became dripping in water. Ren found it utterly amusing to watch Hux realize he could not control the silliness of their children. 

“No!” Galatea told Ares, disappointed there was no fish. 

“Down?” Ares asked and Hux put him back in the water. The two children then sprinted back to the shore, sending water everywhere as they yelled and giggled. 

Hux moved to go after them but Ren grabbed him by the waist and pulled Hux against him. Hux looked into Ren’s deep, dark brown eyes and saw something unfamiliar: calm. Ren was relaxed. He was… happy. 

Hux’s face turned warm and Ren pulled Hux into a gentle and long kiss. Hux let out a soft moan, putting his hands around Ren’s neck. He’d let the water lap at his legs as long as Ren would hold and kiss him. 

They couldn’t see how Ares and Galatea covered their eyes when their parents kissed. Ares made a gagging noise but Galatea just giggled, copying her brother. 

The moment was private. They were all away from the stormtroopers, the officers, the public, and the rest of the galaxy. It was just the four of them and for a moment they could pretend to be nobody. Armitage and Kylo were just parents with their children at a lake. 

When Ren pulled away from the kiss, he put his forehead to Hux’s and whispered, “I’ll do anything for you, you know that?”

“I had an idea…” Hux murmured, putting a hand to Ren’s cheek. “For what it’s worth, darling, you are a good father.”

Ren felt his eyes well with tears and he buried his face in Hux’s shoulder. Hux held him tightly, rubbing his back. Though it had been a few years since they hurt one another seriously, the sting sometimes remained. Ren tried to make up for it in every way, but it always ate at him how his selfish actions almost cost him the one thing he wanted. But to hear Hux’s loving words meant everything.

He wasn’t done though. Ren still had a galaxy of plans for Hux and their children.

He knew the next step was to find a moment to propose to Hux. Not yet, but soon. 

Galatea and Ares watched their parents in awe. They couldn’t quite comprehend what was going on between the two men, but they knew it was powerful. And they knew it was for them too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LISTEN THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE A BANGER JUST YOU WAIT. Also check out my other kylux fanfic, just click on my profile hehe. leave a comment and thanks for sticking around!! <3 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
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> 
> View my other spooky Kylux fanfic [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320875/chapters/66751615)


	16. The Sun Sets On Our Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you really love this extra long, extra cute and lovey, extra everything chapter! happy holidays everyone, i listened to love songs while writing this ok
> 
> leave a comment and a kudos, it means a lot!

They didn’t sleep on Naboo for a few nights. The palace still required some immediate renovations and the New Order still had to set up their roots on the planet. 

With no Queen, Naboo had to change their system. Ren did not want to be titled a Queen at all. Hux didn’t either. Galatea volunteered and they thought about it for half a second before deciding a toddler could not be titled a queen. 

Hux persistently worked for days, sleeping very little. Ren would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and catch Hux constructing his assembly of workers down on Naboo. Ren didn’t know why Hux couldn’t delegate this clerical work. The only way Hux would go to sleep was if Galatea cried due to having a nightmare, forcing Hux to sleep with her for comfort. Ren wondered if Galatea could secretly feel Hux’s stress and projected it into her dreams. He was getting the sense that she was rather smart with emotions. 

Ren was busy as well, though he tried to delegate the work so he could plan for other things. He was planning to have a banquet, which immediately set off red flags in Hux’s eyes. They both did not like parties, Ren more so than Hux, but Ren wanted to show he was both responsible and aware of his influence. 

On the day they were allowed to move into the palace, they both became starkly aware of their lack of belongings. Most of their items belonged to their children. Hux felt a bit strange about the sudden shift from being minimalist to owning a palace where people would sew him custom outfits on a whim and fill his drawers with fine jewels. 

They were given a tour of the renovated palace. The architecture remained the same, other than the edition of another tower. It was technically an old tradition of Naboo’s royalty to add a new building to the massive structure. 

The sandstone-like blocks that formed the tower all looked scrubbed extra clean. Hux wouldn’t put it past Ren to threaten the staff into making sure there wasn’t a smudge on any surface. He didn’t think Ren cared that much about cleanliness, but he knew Ren had been trying to appeal to Hux for some time. 

The Royal Palace maintained many of its great sculptures, though Hux spotted some small droids nearby that seemed to watch the statues, warning those who came too close not to touch them. Smart, considering the grubby hands of his children. 

In one of the lower rotundas of the palace was the throne room, now situated for the family of four. It was a vaulted chamber with tall windows. The throne rested behind a desk with several seats around it, technically made for its one ruler. Rest assured, Ren said there were plenty of audience chambers and a specific wide room where he had ordered a series of thrones to be placed for the four of them.

Hux did like the various meeting rooms in the palace and was glad to see updated technology. Various First Order flags were put up around the palace, one almost in every room. 

Most importantly, their chambers were readily prepared. Hux and Ren’s royal chamber was wide with beautiful arrangements of exotic plants, expensive furniture, red drapes, and, most importantly, a bed fit for a king (or two). In the hall to their chambers was a painting of their family. It was clear Ren had used the holo taken of them on the _Vanguard_ to commission an actual painting. 

The children’s nursery was nearby, but the chief architect assured that they already had rooms situated for the kids when they were older and needed their own space. The nursery was in the same hall as their parent’s chambers, but later they’d be moved into a different hall that was still close by. 

Most importantly, the area to their chambers was all secure with plenty of guards and cameras to keep anyone anyway. They were also told of the secret passages that could be used just in case. 

Hux was in awe at it all. Ren’s job for the day was mainly to keep the children from running around and touching everything, though they behaved. He wanted Hux to have a moment to marvel at all he had now. 

Ren knew Hux didn’t have much growing up. For all his father’s power, Hux never got anything of his own. Even Ren admitted he got things he wanted and could be a bit spoiled. He could see from the way Hux could easily be swayed by the children that Hux wanted to give them all he didn’t have, and now it was right in front of him.

Ren dismissed the chief architect, sensing Hux needed a moment. They were left alone in the hall to their new chambers. Hux state’s silently at the painting of them all. It was three times larger in scale and had a frame made of gold. 

“Ren?” Hux asked, more apprehensively than he usually spoke. Ren stiffened, ready to give Hux whatever he needed.

“Yes?” he answered diligently, putting Galatea down on the floor. She sat, tired from all the touring. Ares sat with her, attempting to strike a conversation with his sister. 

“You’ve put in so much work here, more work than usual,” Hux said suspiciously. Ren felt sweat drip down the back of his neck, stressed about Hux not being surprised about the future proposal. “Why?”

“Because I intend on giving our family a stable living situation. I will not have any mistakes of our pasts arise and repeat if you understand what I mean,” Ren replied seriously, not giving away his jittery nerves. 

Hux hummed in acknowledgment and walked over to the nursery doors, pushing them open. Galatea and Ares followed, peeking into the room, and gasping in awe. 

The room was also large, though its windows were small and high up the wall to prevent the children from getting to them. While the room was neat now, it certainly wouldn’t be soon. There were toys everywhere, many wrapped up in bows and ribbons as presents. Galatea and Ares ran into the room, inspecting all their new gadgets. 

Ren and Hux followed after. Hux frowned at Ren, knowing the man must’ve splurged the First Order budget on their children. While Hux did get a salary from the First Order, he rarely spent it. He would’ve been more than comfortable using his credits to buy things for his babies. He’d give them anything, but he wouldn’t ruin the Order for them. Ren was happy to spend all their money to spoil their children it seemed. 

“Ren, this is… quite a lot don’t you think?” Hux asked, seeing the stuffed drawers and toy boxes. Ares opened a toy box and pulled out a model AT-AT, giggling. Galatea had her face buried in a giant stuffed Vulptex. Its body was bulky and made to look more cartoonish and friendly. 

“I think it’s fine.” 

“You’re spoiling them,” Hux asserted. Ares was already setting up his own battle scene on the floor it seemed, lining up toy ships on the ground. 

“They are the future leaders of the New Order, might as well give them a childhood,” Ren replies passively, waving off Hux’s worries. 

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Hux said somewhat begrudgingly. 

“There’s baby monitors and a cleaning droid and a new, high tech Nan-E droid too. And you said you wanted to find a… human nanny?” 

“Yes. I think it’s beneficial to have them have human interaction. Though, it will be difficult to find someone we trust. I’ve narrowed down some candidates and made the pay quite competitive,” Hux explained. Ren frowned.

“I don’t like strangers being so close to our chambers.”

“It’s under lock and key. Besides, the point of a real nanny is so that they won’t be locked in this nursery all day. And Ares needs to go to school!”

“Why can’t he study right here? We can get another tutor or teaching droid.” Hux pulled on Ren’s arm harshly, making sure Ren was eye level with him.

“If you want to _spoil_ our children, then you will let them also have a normal childhood too!” Hux said in a harsh whisper. Ren let out an exasperated sigh. This was his Hux: never satisfied. Though, Hux would probably say the same thing about him. 

”Don’t worry, babe.” He could see Hux’s face turn red. Ren chuckled, always using the term babe to annoy and embarrass Hux. 

“Daddy,” Galatea called, still laying against the giant stuffed animal. “Hungry!” 

Ren smirked at Hux. “How about a family lunch?” 

Ares and Galatea both cheered. Hux cocked an eyebrow at Ren. He was sure Ren was planning something, he just didn’t know what. Hux thought perhaps that Ren just was trying to simply impress them and flex his skills, but something in Hux’s gut told him there was something more to it all. 

///

Hux’s eyebrow twitched as he stared over the mountain of food in front of him. The long dinner table was undoubtedly a piece of Naboo’s history, yet he felt like Ren was ruining it by devouring a whole roasted bird by himself. He really didn’t understand how Ren could eat like a rabid animal.

The children couldn’t even see over the mountain of food, despite their cushioned chairs that elevated them to see over the table. Galatea and Ares had their own plates with small, child-safe portions but Hux kept having to reach over and smack Ares' hand away to prevent him from trying everything on the table. Galatea was just happy she had a sippy cup full of her favorite juice. 

Ren was at the head of the table, devouring whatever he wanted as if his stomach was a bottomless pit. Galatea was in a high chair to his left. Hux could already tell she was getting antsy, ready to blow at any second from being stuck in a high chair. He figured once her juice was gone she’d throw a tantrum. Hux was seated to Ren’s right and Ares was next to Hux, allowed to sit in a ‘big boy’ chair. 

Hux was slowly picking at his food. It was incredibly delicious, but it was very overwhelming for him. He hardly consumed this type of fresh food. He anxiously sipped at his wine, still curious about what Ren was trying to prove or if Ren genuinely was just taking advantage of their new position on Naboo. 

“Ren, this is a lot of food,” Hux said. They had been pretty quiet through their lunch, more distracted with keeping the children in line. 

“The chefs wanted to… show the delicacies of the planet. Besides, this is a celebration of us, isn’t it?” Ren insisted. Hux shrugged and went back to eating small bites. 

The dining room had some sith troopers lurking about, silently standing against the pews. Hux didn’t like being watched when he ate. He especially didn’t like people seeing his children. The sith troopers were Ren’s special unit, but it still annoyed him to think about the troopers that would be walking around their home all the time. It wasn’t that different from troopers walking around a ship since both the Star Destroyers and the palace were places where people lived and business was held, but it felt different to have them roaming now that they officially moved in. 

Ren and Hux had meticulously picked the people who would be allowed into the palace to work in it. Many of them already knew about Galatea and Ares and never spoke a word about them, while others they had to trust they’d be quiet about the children until the two men were ready to be honest to the galaxy about their family. When Hux spotted a chef or even a new droid, he wondered what they were doing with the information they now had about Galatea and Ares. 

A stormtrooper with a cape over his arm strode in. He was a newly appointed captain, deserving of his title but still under the tough scrutiny of the Grand Marshal and the Supreme Leader. Hux and Ren were completely serious about their appointments in the palace, they would not take chances on slip-ups that would endanger their children.

“Supreme Leader and Grand Marshal sirs!” the Captain said and bowed for a moment. Ren frowned at the interruption. “Captain Mitaka has arrived and he and his partner would like an audience.”

Hux and Ren glanced at each other. 

_Partner?_ Ren asked Hux through the Force. Hux flinched, not expecting Ren’s voice in his head. He should’ve been used to it, but he couldn’t comprehend the Force so he didn’t think he’d ever be completely comfortable with it either. 

“Send them in,” Hux said passively. The stormtrooper captain nodded and headed out of the room to retrieve Mitaka.

As much as Ren wanted to throttle Mitaka, the man was a valuable asset. He was trustworthy with private information, diligent, and (apparently most importantly) he was Hux’s favorite pet. It wasn’t like Mitaka didn’t deserve his promotions or Hux’s approval, it was the fact that Ren felt like Mitaka was someone to compete with— a feeling that made no sense with the fact that Hux clearly had committed himself to Ren. 

Mitaka walked into the dining room, but he was not alone. At the first sight of who came along with Mitaka, Ren ordered all the stormtroopers out of the room. They all listened, walking out in an orderly fashion, but many of them still ogled the woman next to Mitaka.

Arla Ren stood next to Mitaka in a long black dress. The dress had slits near her knees to give her more mobility and to reveal that the inside of the dress was red. She was wearing short, black heels, and her hair was curled, showing that she had put in the time and effort to look like an important guest. Mitaka was wearing his usual uniform, though Ren swore the Captain had cleaned himself up more than usual. 

“Arla, you seem to be better,” Ren said, somewhat bitterly. He didn’t like this little _partnership_ Arla had with Mitaka suddenly. He didn’t like that he was always lingering near her. 

“I’ve felt better, but I certainly am more coherent now. Have you saved any food for us?” Arla said sarcastically, seeing the copious amounts of food on the table. She was holding a fan. She flicked her wrist to open up the fan, revealing its red fabric. She fanned herself a bit dramatically. 

_What is this ‘us?’_ Ren asked her through the Force, frowning.

 _Don’t think too much about it, relax yourself Supreme Leader,_ Arla responded, rolling her eyes.

“Thank you for coming Captain, sorry you had to catch us at this moment,” Hux said, glancing at Ren disapprovingly. Mitaka most likely didn’t care that they were eating, but Hux still didn’t like feeling informal. 

“I hope we aren’t bothering you, I was just ordered to come down here and… Lady Ren wanted to come along to see her Master,” Mitaka explained. Ren still found it suspicious. There’s no way Arla just decided to come along when she was dressed so finely; she must’ve needed time to get ready. 

Arla gave a friendly smile but Ren knew she was taunting him for some reason. Ren shifted his jaw. 

“I have considered it and given our new situations, I’d prefer if you stayed down on Theed most of the time Captain Mitaka. That is, if you want,” Ren offered, leaning back in his chair and gripping the armrests. 

Hux looked back at Ren, sort of surprised Ren was offering it up. He knew that Mitaka would most likely be staying by them because of how trustworthy he was, but it still shocked him to see Ren put aside his personal issues with Mitaka to give him an appropriate opportunity (although, Ren was saying it through gritted teeth). 

They had to build a tight inner circle and, naturally, they each had to pick their most trusted candidates. Ren wanted Arla to be his right hand whereas Mitaka would be Hux’s. It was a bit funny that both were standing together, their arms nearly touching.

“I would be grateful, sirs!” Mitaka said cheerfully, excited to move up the ranks. Hux smiled a little at Mitaka’s pride. 

“You’ll need a new title. I’m sure the Grand Marshal will work it out but you’ll specifically be tending to Hux’s political needs if it so pleases him,” Ren said, turning to Hux. Hux wanted to ask when Ren was planning.

“It does. Mitaka, we will prepare you a room and you will be a part of my inner circle. I trust that you’ll continue to show the utmost professionalism and are ready for the challenge. It will not be easy, I must warn,” Hux said honestly, his voice darkening to let Mitaka know that this would be no easy promotion. 

Mitaka nodded though, ready to serve his leaders. Arla grinned. 

“How thoughtful,” she said in her ‘royal’ voice, a voice she used to invoke an appearance of intelligence and worth. 

“You too Arla,” Ren said. She raised her eyebrows.

“Come again?” she asked.

“Since I think you need to continue healing and I’ll need your political skills, I need you to stay down on Theed for a while and act as one in my inner circle,” Ren explained. She snapped her fan shut. 

“I’m already in your inner circle, Master,” she said.

“I mean not as a Knight of Ren. You’ll be parading around without your garb as a trusted ally to the Supreme Leader. A lot of people will be beginning to head in and out of here now and I’ll need your ears and I’ll need you to blend in,” he told her. “Besides, you need a new helmet, don’t you?”

“Yes, Master,” she agreed, although she was turning her nose up in the air.

“...I’ll accommodate your own room and a fresh wardrobe if you’d like,” he said begrudgingly and she immediately perked up and smiled wide.

“Oh, lovely. Anything for you, Master.” 

Galatea began squirming in her confines, ready to leave. Before he dismissed the two, he informed them to go into the city and take a survey of any concerns or damages. He told Arla to use the Force to make sure any unwanted individuals were not lurking around. Ren said he’d contact Arla when he was ready to see them again. They didn’t know what that meant exactly, but they didn’t ask. 

Ren removed Galatea from her high chair, letting the small girl sit in his lap. She still squirmed, but she always was more relaxed in her dad’s arms. Hux leaned toward Ren, trying to get a read on what Ren was planning. While he disliked the Force, he sometimes wished he had it just so he could read other’s minds. Hux thought the best tool to have was always information. If you knew a dark secret about someone or knew something before them, then you usually could win any game. 

“You are marinating me,” Hux suddenly said with a snide grin. 

Ren stared at his partner rather dumbly. “Huh?” 

“This is all very nice but I get the feeling you are going to tell me something or do something and you don’t want to upset me so you are giving me all these nice things. What are you planning, Ky-lo,” Hux said, exaggerating the syllables of the Supreme Leader’s name. 

“Nothing,” Ren replied, straight-faced. Hux narrowed his eyes for a moment, unable to spot any indicators that proved Ren was guilty of something. “Isn’t it our plan to make the galaxy better for our kids? Might as well bathe in its riches. Did you think we _wouldn’t_ have nice things?”

Hux leaned back. “No, I suppose not. I feel like you are trying unusually hard though, Ren.” 

Ren shrugged. “I think you said it before, being a parent changes you.” 

Hux dropped the conversation after that, unaware of Ren’s clammy hands and the sweat dripping down his back. Galatea was staring up at him with her big eyes. He knew that she sensed he was nervous. He shot her a harsh look, hoping she’d take a hint to leave him alone. The little girl pouted and then began to cry, startled by Ren’s anxious energy and his rude expression. 

“Oh, I think someone needs a nap,” Hux said passively, sounding quite unmoved by her crying. He was two kids in, crying didn’t quite as bother him as it should’ve. He looked at Ares, who was trying to reach a sticky bun that was on a plate too far from him. “You too.”

“No…” Ares said quietly. Ren wanted to laugh, realizing that even at a young age Ares was understanding that Hux would not receive no for an answer. 

Naptime was perfect for Ren though. He knew that he needed an opportunity to sneak away with Hux to truly show him the empire before them and having the kids go to sleep would help. 

Ren kissed Galatea’s nose and she sniffled and calmed down slightly. She looked up at her daddy, her face red and her brown eyes glimmering in a way that drew him into her whims. She’d be powerful, he knew. Ares would be too, but they were different in their abilities. 

They didn’t inherit their powers from Hux, but what they did inherit from Hux held more importance than Hux would comprehend or recognize: the will to fight and get what one wanted without being special. And it would be the most important strength in the future, Ren knew it.

///

Hux was still suspicious of Ren’s movements. After the children were put down for a nap, Ren took Hux on numerous trips around Naboo. 

First, he took Hux to a tailor and introduced him to finely made uniforms that Ren made him try on. Annoyed but in awe, Hux agreed to put on a sleek dark green set with golden embroidery and a thin, glimmering cape that fell off the side of his left arm, making him look like a forest king under the midnight moon. Hux didn’t often wear color, much like Ren, but Ren said the suit complemented his eyes, and Hux couldn’t help but be flustered. Ren’s compliments often came off strangely, but somehow this time Hux felt inclined to wear the outfit.

Ren carted Hux around on a brief sightseeing crusade. While Hux was intrigued with Theed and, now, all they owned of it, he couldn’t help but feel like Ren was preparing to smack him with something. Perhaps Ren was going to legitimately ask for another baby even though Hux already said no, maybe he was going to admit he fucked up badly and they had to climb out of some hole, or maybe Ren was going to admit to Hux he was no longer interested in a partnership.

The last option was just Hux’s paranoia speaking and he knew that. Ren was putting in way too much effort for a breakup. Like a child, Ren just threw away his toys when he got bored. 

Afterward, Ren had dragged Hux to visit the gardens near the palace. It was under heavy protection to prevent outsiders from peering in and only a few stormtroopers wandered the lot. There was plenty of exotic flora. It made Hux’s nose itch, but he liked seeing the array of flowers. He thought about how little he was able to appreciate nature growing up on ships, not that he was particularly sentimental. It seemed more like Ren’s interests to be attuned to nature. 

They were walking arm and arm, though they did rarely. Hux had his arm wrapped around Ren’s, feeling the man’s strong bicep and admiring it. Hux would be lying to say that he wasn’t feeling Ren up and ogling his strong body. He couldn’t help it— even with all the layers Ren wore, Hux could still feel the thickness of the man and couldn’t help but appreciate it. 

“This is very lovely and all Ren but the sun is setting soon it seems, shouldn’t we go back to the children?” Hux asked. Ren suddenly stopped in his tracks, making Hux stop as well. The man appeared to be thinking deeply. 

“...right, the sun is setting soon. We can head back in. But there’s one last thing I want to show you, Armitage,” Ren said. Hux still couldn’t read Ren’s expression. His eyebrows knitted together.

“What about Ares and Galatea?” Hux asked and Ren began leading him back into the palace.

“Arla is watching them,” Ren answered quickly, picking up his pace a bit. Hux flinched, unaware that Ren had ever told her to return. Then again, that’s what the Force was for, wasn’t it? “Come with me, Grand Marshal.”

Hux had no choice but to follow, not that he was particularly worried. He continued to hold Ren’s arm as they walked back into the palace, walking down numerous hallways and traveling up winding steps.

Hux was a bit embarrassed to say that the travel was tiring him. He wanted to ask for lifts in the palace, yet knew it would be an inappropriate addition to the design. Ren had a determined look and Hux noticed a bead of sweat crawling down Ren’s face. Perhaps Ren was as annoyed about having to take so many stairs as he was.

Eventually, they entered a round room that was devoid of furniture. There were many rooms that needed to be redecorated. Hux looked at the ceiling to see the warm paintings of mythical creatures and beautiful golden clouds. 

“Come on here, Grand Marshal,” Ren said gently, luring Hux onto a balcony. 

Hux pushed past the glass doors and felt Naboo’s breeze hit his face. He squinted as he looked out into the open, his jaw-dropping at the sight.

The balcony did not face the city but instead faced the forests and rivers behind the palace. The palace was elevated on the edge of a cliff where waterfalls poured out into the river below. With the sun setting, the scenery looked inviting and exponentially beautiful.

Hux was looking at the beauty of the kingdom around him, whereas Ren was looking at Hux.

Ren hadn’t realized till then how much the palace reminded him of Vader’s Castle on Mustafar. They both stood on a cliff’s edge and poured out liquids into rivers below, except while Theed had water, Mustafar had lava. The Royal Palace was made of cylindrical towers whereas Vader’s castle was made of tall, rectangular buildings. Ren wondered if that was Vader’s way of remembering his loved one subconsciously. 

But Ren wouldn’t need to build new castles to remember Hux: he had the man right next to him. 

Hux walked up to the railing of the balcony and looked over the edge then up to the sky, amazed. This was what he was missing living on ships; it’s what his children could’ve missed. Hux suddenly felt guilty; it was a pang of guilt he could never rid himself of but he knew if he acknowledged it then he’d destroy the illusion of love and pride he created.

“Ares,” Hux said suddenly. Ren flinched.

“What about Ares?”

“It’s an old Arkanian name,” Hux said, turning to Ren. His eyes looked at peace. Ren felt his face burn a bright red. “It sort of means warrior or legend.” 

“You told me it’s from a story you knew,” Ren replied, unsure why Hux was bringing it up.

“It was. It’s a children’s tale from Arkanis. It’s a legend about the mortal warrior Ares and the sea goddess. It was said that he fell in love with the sea goddess and her father was furious a mortal dare woo his daughter so she was locked away in a lake and her salty tears turned it into an ocean. Ares fought through every monster on Arkanis that prevented him from seeing her, making the God’s creatures extinct,” Hux told, his words coming off like his heart was attached to the tale. Ren stared at Hux, wide-eyed. 

Hux continued, his eyes lighting up. “Unable to stop him, the father God gave Ares a potion of immortality as a reward for beating him, saying that he could live with the sea goddess forever. But Ares had been fooled. The Gods banished him to the moon since mortals were not allowed to fight against Death. He waits for her there, forever. The sea goddess’s tears created the sea levels and when his soul is close enough to hers, some of the water has time to be swallowed into the earth. 

“That’s why the tides change— because she’s trying to reach him and she misses him and he’s trying to bring her to the moon where they can maybe be safe and alone together.” 

Ren was flabbergasted. Hux never talked about Arkanis, let alone his childhood. Hux stares off into the distance, looking far, far away. 

“You said the name reminded you of me,” Ren recalled, the words coming out quietly. “Why?”

“Because I named him after you, idiot.” Hux slowly turned to Ren, pushing back his ginger hair that was being moved by the breeze. “You’re like the warrior Ares: no matter what is thrown at you, you’d push through stubbornly, cruelly, but with purpose. You never stop fighting, even when you should. And you are more patient than I say you are, in all honesty.” 

“I guess that makes you the sea goddess then. Filling the ocean with your tears while you wait for me,” Ren said with a little smile. Hux blushed all the way to his ears.

“That’s not what I meant,” Hux said stubbornly, suddenly unable to meet Ren’s eyes. “Besides, you aren’t stuck on any moon! You are right here.”

“Well, we can just fly to a moon and land there and recreate the story.”

“In your dreams that I’d ever cry over you.”

“You can’t lie to me Grand Marshal, I know you too well now,” Ren chuckled. 

“I will banish you on a moon myself I swear—”

“And what about Galatea?” 

Hux suddenly looked tense. “What about her?”

“Well, you never discussed where you got her name from. Is it another Arkanis tale?” Ren pressed. He didn’t like how Hux seemed to draw back when discussing their daughter. 

“I… sort of. Do you not like me naming the children? It is a little late for that.”

“It seems like information a father should know,” Ren said. Hux looked down to his fist that was resting on the stone barrier on the balcony. “Do you speak… a native language from Arkanis?” 

Ren didn’t know how he had never asked Hux that. He felt woefully underprepared for what he was going to do.

“Yes Ren, but not as fluently as I should. Just conversational, but I haven’t been there so I’m no good anymore probably. Galatea is just…” Hux looked down sorrowfully. Ren moved closer to Hux, sensing the man’s heartache. “It’s just a word my mother said once to me. It’s pronounced a little differently but it doesn’t have a true meaning. It’s like an expression to say when you think the snow is beautiful.” 

“What a specific word,” Ren said. 

“Fits her white hair though, doesn’t it?” Hux said rather defensively. “That wasn’t exactly on purpose I must admit, it was just the first name to come to mind. Why are we discussing this?” 

“Because you are a wonderful father,” Ren complimented, pressing a kiss into the side of Hux’s head. Hux put a knuckle to his lips, flustered. “And you’re right you know, I love you enough to fight gods and bring moons closer to seas.” 

Ren gently grabbed Hux’s hands and pulled them to his chest. Hux’s eyes sparkled and he looked up into Ren’s dark eyes. He could see Ren’s face tighten in… worry? Passion? Hux couldn’t quite put a word on it. Whatever it was, it utterly hypnotized Hux.

“Ren?” Hux asked, perplexed.

“You make me stronger, Armitage. You make me feel things I can’t feel with other people. And you believe in me for who I am, not who you desire me to be,” Ren told him sincerely. “The galaxy needs us. It needs you. Our children can only find glory if we bring it to them.”

“O-of course,” Hux stuttered, a bit overwhelmed by Ren serenading him in a language of love. 

“I’ll bring you anything, I’ll bring you planets and stars, whatever you want. But I cannot do it alone. And I cannot bear to think that the galaxy doesn’t see our unity and our strength together.” The sun was still setting, giving Hux a golden glow. Ren could see the translucence of Hux’s lashes as he fluttered them, enamored by Ren. “Do you understand what I’m proposing?”

“No?” Hux blurted out, though he did have an idea; he just didn’t acknowledge it.

Traditions varied from planet to planet and community to community, but Ren only knew how to do this one way: by getting down on one knee and presenting a ring. 

And it’s what he did. 

He quickly got down on his knee, releasing Hux and reaching into a back pocket to procure a ring decorated in a beautiful, black kyber crystal that stood out more than any diamond ever could. The kyber was wrapped in gold and looked expensive, but nothing was worth more than the lovingly surprised look on Hux’s face. 

“Marry me, Armitage Hux,” Ren said in a low voice, nearly choking on his words. “Marry me.” 

The breeze stopped and it felt like entire galaxies were staring at them despite them being alone. The sunlight reflected off the golden band of the ring like a newborn star, radiating just for Hux.

Ren’s hand was trembling; the silence hurt him. The light was a bit blinding, so it was hard to read Hux other than to know he was shocked. 

Ren swallowed roughly, waiting for a response. His eyes were teary: out of love, out of fear, out of sorrow for not asking sooner. Hux’s pink lips were slightly parted. Ren wanted to crawl into his own skin like it was a shell. 

“It’s not an order. I’ll understand if you say no,” Ren told Hux, trying to make him feel more comfortable. “But I’ll wait for you, I’ll do everything in my power—”

“Yes,” Hux choked out. 

Ren stiffened. “I— What?”

“Yes I’ll marry you, you fucking dolt,” Hux whimpered. Ren realized that Hux’s eyes were leaking with tears. It was like he was crying diamonds. 

Hux ripped off his gloves, tossing them to the wind and letting them fly away without a care. Ren smiled brightly, taking Hux’s left hand and sliding the kyber crystal ring onto his finger. It looked beautiful there and it fit perfectly. He’d have to thank Gyro Ren later for getting the ring’s measurements so perfect. 

Ren rose to meet Hux, but Hux grabbed Ren by his shirt and pulled him into a smashing kiss. Ren moaned in surprise, then relaxed into it and held the side of Hux’s face, tilting his head and grinning through their kiss. 

Perhaps it was the way Hux spilled tears in glee, a type of happiness that even Hux thought he could never feel, but Ren was glowing. Ren didn’t know if Hux was the type to even care about marriage; he had an assumption that the man thought of it as a mere contract, but here Hux looked elated.

Hux was beyond joyful that someone picked him, that someone had chosen him to stay with forever. That Ren would go out of his way to do something that perhaps didn’t entirely matter, but showed commitment and love.

The two most powerful men in the galaxy were in love with one another, and that was something to admire and fear. 

Ren began helplessly crying over his warmed heart. Hux chuckled and wiped Ren’s tears, pulling a handkerchief from his back pocket and offering it to his now-fiancé. Ren snatched the cloth and blew his nose into it. It was amusing to watch Ren so hopelessly gleeful, and it was glorious. Hux made the Supreme Leader’s heart bleed, how about that? 

“Keep the handkerchief,” Hux teased, flattening out Ren’s clothes from when he grabbed him. “Is this why you’ve been working so hard? So you could ask to marry me?” 

“...maybe,” Ren blubbered, still getting over his tears. Hux lovingly rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t sure you’d say yes if I didn’t prove myself.” 

“Now, why wouldn’t I say yes to you?” 

Ren’s eyes went wide. He knew he just proposed so this much was obvious but, fuck, he was so in love with Hux. He hated him for it. He was happy to feel it. 

“You’re… very stubborn,” Ren admitted, mentally kicking himself for saying it. 

“And you’re driven by your emotions and completely foolish,” Hux pushed his hands against Ren’s chest, admiring his ring and groping Ren. Ren cleared his throat, noticing that Hux was distracted. “Ah, where did you get this ring?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s custom,” Ren said, wondering why Hux was still feeling his chest. He knew Hux loved his chest but this didn’t seem like the time.

“It’s the breast— BEST ring I’ve ever seen. Ah, excuse me for that.” Hux blushed, pulling his hands away.

“Why are you thinking about me naked after I just proposed to you?”

“I don’t know! I’m feeling a bit hot and heavy,” Hux said, fanning himself with his hand— his ringed hand, that is. “It’s a bit overwhelming. I have to admit you have broken my usual professionalism.” 

“Apparently feeling victorious turns you on,” Ren said, pulling Hux back against him and hugging him tightly. Hux frowned, pretending to be above Ren’s petty games.

“Is this a victory then for you?”

“Yes, I will marry you and that’s a victory. Let’s celebrate by trying out the new bed,” Ren said, bending down and grabbing Hux by the waist and hoisting him over his shoulder. Hux squealed, letting out a lovely laugh that almost made Ren freeze. 

Ren patted Hux on the ass and Hux slapped his hands on Ren’s back. They were both laughing. Their laugh would frighten the galaxy, but between the two of them, it was a scene to treasure. He wished he had a holo of the proposal, but then Ren thought there was something perfect about the memory only being between them with no one else to see. 

“Put me down you barbarian!” Hux laughed. “We can do that later, let’s check on Galatea and Ares first.”

“Sure thing, Armitage,” Ren said, carrying Hux from the balcony. 

“You’re a strange man, Kylo.” 

“I’m your man,” Ren smirked.

Hux relaxed in Ren’s arm, letting Ren feel the strength of being told yes. “And I’m yours, love. Always and forever.” 

Forever was a long time. But even then, it wasn’t long enough for Ren.

Yet, there was something wonderful knowing Hux would age with him and that their children would grow too. And one day, when he became one with the Force, Ren didn’t think he’d be alone. 

///

General Leia Organa clenched the cane she was using. She was not getting younger and she knew that even a Force sensitive’s body was malleable. One day she’d turn into stardust and leave her legacy to the hands of those who looked to her for answers. She had to ready them for whatever came next. 

She felt… strange. The Force didn’t call to her as it had with Luke, but it was still deeply a part of who she was. The Force didn’t feel like it was warning her, in fact, she felt like something warming had happened.

She wondered if Ben had found some sort of happiness. Leia took a moment to breathe, thinking about how her heart was still connected to her son’s even if he didn’t want her there anymore. 

There was no telling what he had found that he carelessly sent his joy out into the galaxy, though she figured he probably didn’t realize his feelings would spread to her. She wondered if Rey had felt it. 

It frightened her to think Ben was joyful from a practical sense. If he was happy, it must’ve meant the First Order was succeeding. In turn, the Resistance would weaken. Still, she wished she could feel the warmth of her son’s joy without feeling fear as well.

It hurt to be so far away from a child and pretend you weren’t a part of their lives. The next generation were young adults and she had to let them free, yet Leia felt like she had missed out completely on watching them grow. 

“Master Organa?” Rey‘s voice asked. She turned to see Rey awkwardly standing in the doorway of the room. She was sitting alone in a meeting room, staring at a map of Naboo. She mourned the planet being lost to the First Order. She prayed to the Force that Ben wouldn’t destroy its history. 

“Yes? How can I help you, Rey?” she asked kindly, turning and pretending to feel fine. Rey tilted her head. 

“Oh, I just… I felt something strange in the Force and wanted to ask if you felt it too,” Rey said. 

“I did. Did Finn sense it?” she asked, going over to a seat. Rey quickly went to her side, offering to help, but Leia refused her. Rey clasped her hands behind her back.

“Finn didn’t say he did,” Rey said. Leia’s lips tightened into a straight line. “Do you think it was—”

“Whatever it was, I don’t think it’s a sign of danger. We should concern ourselves with our next steps. Continue helping train Finn,” she urged. Rey just nodded her head, but Leia could see in Rey’s eyes that she was curious. Rey turned to leave. “Don’t think about Kylo Ren, would you? It’s not good for you.”

It was hard hearing that from Leia but Rey nodded her head, knowing that he’d only hurt her from a distance if she let herself open to him. 

“I try not to, trust me,” she said with a little smile. She didn’t want Kylo anywhere near Finn or Poe or Rose or anyone. She knew he’d hurt them, especially for just existing in Rey’s sphere. She was scared that if he found out Finn was Force-sensitive, he’d do dastardly things to him.

Rey flushed at the thought of Finn and all his bravery and preciousness. She wouldn’t let Kylo take that away from her. And she wouldn’t let Leia worry more than she needed to.

When Rey left Leia, the General stared at the map of Naboo and wondered what her son was doing down there. 

She wondered if he really was better off cradled in the dark side, even if he was without his former Masters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, AM I RIGHT?? leave some hype in the comments please,, the way this is like so long for no reason. also hux's reaction is appropriate, is it not?
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr [@starryartemis](https://starryartemis.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)
> 
> View my other spooky Kylux fanfic [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320875/chapters/66751615)


	17. Over the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day and ahh sorry for the chapter delay! Life keeps me busy and sometimes I just have to wait for the right moment to write. Hopefully, this cute, family-filled chapter provides some nice fluff.
> 
> Leave a comment and a kudos, it means a lot!

It had been several hours past sunrise, much longer than it usually took for the Grand Marshal and the Supreme Leader to arise. 

Despite the fair amount of time that had passed since their engagement, the two men were still on a romantic high that sent the First Order into a strange spiral. Kylo’s happy mood was discomforting and Hux’s relaxed state made people think he had finally snapped. Not many knew of the engagement, but the whispers of Hux wearing a big fat black ‘diamond’ on his finger quickly spread across the Order’s ships and staff. 

People placed their best estimations on the price of the ring and, similarly, they also tried to theorize where it had come from. There were a considerable amount of rumors that Ren had stolen it, which wasn’t that far off, whereas most people assumed that the Supreme Leader just bought the most angsty looking ring he could find. There was still confusion about Hux’s and Ren’s relationship. Some people didn’t even think Hux was engaged to Kylo Ren. There was also a rumor that Hux was taking the title of ‘consort’ to the Supreme Leader. Hux was embarrassed and infuriated by the notion he was just there for the sex, but Ren thought a little too long about if he should call Hux his consort or not. It would make sense, wouldn’t it?

Consort or not, Ren loved being able to sleep in with Hux cuddled up close to him. The man may have been fierce and cruel when awake, but when he slept he was cutely curled up and as clingy as a kitten. 

Sleeping in may have been normal to the Supreme Leader since he tended to do so when he felt like it, but not to Hux. People required his attention and, unfortunately, that meant someone had to go see if he was awake.

The new staff was either too cowardly to try to go awaken them or literally did not have access to the Royal Hallways, leaving it up to two of the leader’s closest allies to go see them. 

Unfortunately for Arla Ren, she had lost the coin toss with Mitaka. 

The other Knights of Ren laughed at her, leaving Gyro Ren with ‘broken’ testicles and Vision Ren with a new scar to add to his collection. The staff still did not understand who she was or why she was so close to the Supreme Leader and the Grand Marshal, so she was referred to as either Ren’s advisor or his distant relative.

Her heels clacked against the smooth floor as she went down the hall and headed straight for the bedchambers. The stormtroopers often whispered about her when she passed. 

She knocked on the doors to the Royal Bedchambers, her fist banging against the wood loudly. She crossed her arms after.

“Supreme Leader, Grand Marshal!” she called in a venomous voice, “Time to get up! Apparently, my job is to deal with this nonsense.”

When there was no answer so she used the Force to open the door. She made a mental note to make sure Ren made some safety adjustments so other Force users couldn’t bend the will of the door. 

She stepped into the room. “If you two are having sex, you better stop.” 

She did admire the beauty of the room. She could hear the soft bubbling of an indoor water fountain and smelled an exotic flower as she passed. 

Hux and Ren were passed out on their comically large bed, the blanket wrapped tightly around the both of them. She heard a click and noticed she had kicked an empty bottle of brandy. And then she saw about three more empty bottles. Ah, that explained it. 

She wasn’t sure how to proceed. She walked over to the side of the bed and held Ren’s nose closed. The man stopped snoring and tried to take deep breaths. He began to sputter, panicking and reaching out with the Force to try to harm the intruder. Expecting this, Arla pushed back against his violence with ease. 

Ren flailed and shot up in his bed, smacking Hux in the face as he did so. Hux groaned loudly and let out a panicked, “Fucking idiot!” as Ren hit him on accident. 

Arla used the Force to open the curtains, letting all of the sunlight in so they’d have to get up. 

Hux sat up slowly, his ginger hair a mess. His neck was covered in bruises and both of them reeked of booze. Ren spun to sit on the edge of the bed, covering his face with his hands. He was completely naked and Arla figured Hux was too. Ren’s chest was covered in little bruises and bitemarks, a sight Arla did not need or want to see. 

She grimaced and glared at them but just stood there with her arms crossed. It took them both a minute to realize she was standing there, judging them silently. 

Hux’s eyes flew open wide and he tried to throw a blanket on Ren, yelping at the realization a young woman caught them in an embarrassing state of undress. 

“For fuck‘s sake Ren! You’re nude and there’s a girl in our room!” Hux yelled, pulling the blanket up over his own nude body. 

“Urg… it’s just a Knight of Ren,” Ren moaned, clearly hungover. 

“Yeah I’ve seen him naked before,” Arla said irritably through her teeth. She looked toward Hux. “I have to say, Grand Marshal, I’m rather impressed you can take his stupid monster dick. It’s quite… intimidating.” 

“Why are you assuming—” Hux stopped mid-sentence and glared daggers into Ren’s back. Ren looked up from his hands, sensing Hux was thinking about throttling him. “Are you  _ talking  _ about our private lives with them!?” 

“It’s just my Knights! I don’t talk that much about anything! Besides, we know everything about each other,” Ren said defensively. 

“Including what they look like nude?!” 

“You two are a match made by the Force, for sure,” Arla said sarcastically. They, again, forgot she was there for a moment. Hux realized this must’ve been why she was Ren’s little spy: she blended in quite well even with her fancy dress wear. “Now, because I was forced to come here and play this stupid advisor role or whatever, I think you both are late to about six meetings or something.”

“If you were really our advisor you’d know our schedules,” Ren murmured, rubbing his temples. 

“You’re right, I’m not. And I could’ve gone my entire life without needing to know that Grand Marshal Hux loves biting your boobs,” Arla snapped, turning to walk away and let the men deal with their hangovers.

She heard a squelching noise under her foot and looked down. She stepped on a tube of some sort and realized it was a tube of lube. The clear gel had gotten all over the toe of her shoe. Her face turned red and she glared at Ren, the Force thrumming in rage around her. Ren bit his lip, suppressing a laugh. Hux was quickly pulling up his boxers while Arla was distracted. 

“Don’t mess up our halls with your lubed shoe,” Ren said as seriously as he could. Arla bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from screaming at her Master. She summoned a tissue with the Force and wiped his shoe, grimacing.

_ I should put this lubed shoe up your ass, but you’d probably like it too much!  _ Arla yelled at him through the Force.

Ren’s smugness was palpable through the Force.  _ That’s no way to talk to your Master and Supreme Leader, little girl.  _

“Instead of you two just getting drunk every night in celebration and fucking up everyone’s schedules, why don’t you throw a bachelor party?” Arla suggested, throwing the gooey tissue at Ren. It landed on his pillow. 

“A what?” Hux asked, buttoning up his shirt while Ren still sat on the bed naked with nothing but a sheet to cover his crotch. 

“A bachelor party. It’s a tradition on my home planet and a few others. It’s when the groom takes his friends out to party and celebrate his impending marriage. Usually, the two future spouses have separate parties but I sense you two probably want an excuse to do body shots off each other’s chests,” she told them, heading toward the door. “Think about that instead of making me be your damn alarm clock!”

She stormed out of the room, clearly fed up with the two of them. Hux shook his head, heading to his vanity to comb his hair out and try to put some concealer on his neck. 

Ren yawned and stretched himself out dramatically, turning and cracking his back. He reached for his own comb and began brushing his hair as if to mimic Hux's routine. He could hear Hux moving around behind him, getting ready for his day. 

“It might be fun,” Ren grumbled shyly. Hux looked toward his fiancé, pulling up a pair of red pants. 

“What?”

“I don’t know, having a bachelor party. We have worked hard.” 

“We have, but I don’t know about partying Ren. Seems a bit irresponsible.” 

“We were planning a banquet anyway. Certain high officials are getting antsy, wanting to make a show of our success,” Ren said. Hux began putting pomade in his hair, utilizing less than he used to because he knew that Ren likes it when his hair looked a little more full and free. 

“A bachelor party is different from a banquet. Perhaps our wedding will be the banquet,” Ren said with a little wink. Hux blushed; thinking about getting married seemed like a fantasy to get married and every time there was a mention of their impending marriage, confirming it was real, Hux couldn’t help but feel a little flustered. 

They had to do a lot of preparation for their wedding. They needed to designate a venue, a day, a workforce, outfits, caterers, a propaganda department specifically for the event, and so much more. Unfortunately, where there was great joy there was also the work that had to be put in with it. 

“You want to turn our wedding into a political statement?” Hux asked, turning his head to directly look at Ren. Ren averted his eyes.

“Well, not if—”

“I’m jostling you, darling. Of course, it’s a bit political. It’s a show of force for us to be married, especially publicly,” Hux explained. Ren let out a sigh. “Perhaps… we should finally tell the galaxy about our children too.” 

“I mean they don’t have to know…” Ren was usually the one to suggest letting Galatea and Ares into the galaxy, but actually having to do it was frightening. There were too many risks involved. To many people who he didn’t need to see them. 

“We don’t have to say much, just let them be at the wedding and in our arms afterward. Our wedding will be publicized, let people think what they want about the children.” 

Ren swallowed hard; he knew that met that the Resistance would know. He knew that meant his mother would know. He didn’t know what they’d do with the information. Perhaps the shock would just kill Organa. Ren didn’t find his own joke funny. 

“I want the wedding to be sooner rather than later,” Ren demanded. Hux rolled his eyes.

“I’m aware, love.” Ren’s heart swooned at Hux calling him ‘love.’ He could instantly be revived with the power of Hux’s sweet words. It didn’t take much for Hux to give Ren a hard on either, not that he has one now. “It takes a lot of planning.”

“I saw you were already arguing with the wedding planner,” Ren said with a little smirk. Ren was also involved with the wedding planning, but he was more interested in organizing the honeymoon at the moment. 

He realized it was difficult to plan a wedding and a honeymoon with two children. He couldn’t always make his knights babysit, mostly because they weren’t fully equipped, but there was always something nerve-wracking about letting anyone near them. 

Ares had recently started going to school, an actual school. Almost every morning he or one of their new nannies would walk Ares to school and then pick him up later too. The small, prestigious academy was perfect for his son, but they both knew Ares made the teachers nervous. Ares was still adjusting to leaving his parents to finally see the big world, so he also had days where he’d just learn from home or have half days at the academy. 

The first day he had to go to an actual school, he was screaming and crying even before they left the palace. Ares clung to Hux, sobbing and begging his papa not to leave him. Hux rubbed his back and sighed, knowing the transition would be very difficult for Ares. Galatea said she wanted to go and then she started screaming and crying when they said she wasn’t old enough yet. Perhaps it would’ve been easier if Ares had switched personalities with his sister. 

But Ares was slowly getting used to it. There were very few children at the school since the sudden shift in power and thrown everything through a loop. Many First Order officials and their families had begun immigrating onto the planet and putting their own children in the school system, which often didn’t mix well with the children already living on Theed. The children were just perplexed, it was the adults that made more trouble. 

Hux wanted Ares to be taught by actual living beings, not droids all the time. Ares liked droids though. He apparently behaved better when the teaching droid was doing the lessons, whereas humans unnerved him. There was an ‘aid’ in the classroom just for Ares, a muscular woman who was actually a sith trooper. She merely assisted the teachers in every classroom Ares was there and made sure nobody looked at him too long. 

When Ares and Galatea were old enough, they’d send them off to the Royal Academy in Theed to make them fine leaders. Perhaps they’d even go to the university in Theed, but that was thinking too far ahead.

The two men readied for their day. Hux tended to take more time preening and making sure everything was in place, but he was efficient. Ren didn’t have to try as hard with his appearance rather than to fix his hair. Hux envied him for his beauty. Then again, Ren would’ve said he envied Hux for  _ his _ beauty. 

The day itself was not infested with too much work, though there was less work for Ren than for Hux. Ren designed it that way: he still rather not do any work that could be considered clerical. Well-dressed, they walked through the palace, heading to the kitchens where Ares and Galatea were, watching the minimal staff cook and the nanny, an older woman named Meg, offer them vegetable snacks. 

Meg was their final nanny choice, though they had a few backups. She was the primary nanny, the one they called the most, especially when they were gone for long periods in the day (though both of them keenly felt the effects of not being with their children. It was a tragedy to go hours without holding one of them). 

Nanny Meg was the aunt to a trusted First Order officer named Thanisson and had grown up in the Empire. She was intelligent, loyal, and relaxed. While she cared for the children, she didn’t overtly baby them or act as though she was very important to them. Hux and Ren tolerated her. They rarely had actual personable conversations with Meg but when they did she often babbled about how proud she was of her nephew who was serving in the Order. 

Hux had had a few drinks with Thanisson before. He was stern but kind, seemingly ready to also please Hux in a Mitaka-like fashion (and from what Hux understood, Mitaka and Thanisson were friends). Thanisson had the unfortunate genealogy of having a perpetual baby face even as a grown adult, which made sense as to why his Aunt Meg talked about him like he was still 10 years old and getting good grades. 

Ren once asked why Hux’s circle of friends was ‘all twinks’ to which Hux replied by smacking Ren on the arm. He would argue that Mitaka was not a twink, at least not anymore. Though, Thanisson was very much still skinny from what he remembered. He was also very popular; someone always seemed to be flirting with him. 

Ares dashed for Hux and Ren when they entered the kitchens. He clung onto Ren’s legs up and Ren pulled him up into his arms, staring at him with a serious expression. 

“Did you go to school?” Ren asked him. Hux glared at him for a moment, realizing Ren didn’t remember what days Ares was supposed to go to school and when he was to stay home. To Ren’s defense, Ares’ still did not commit to a coherent schooling schedule. Galatea was more persistent in her schedule because she just had to deal with the droids and in-palace tutors. 

“Yes. Not all day,” Ares said a bit shyly, fiddling with his own fingers. 

“Are you having lunch?” Ren asked. Ares nodded and lazily placed his head on Ren’s shoulder, apparently tuckered out. 

Hux grabbed a cup of caf that was offered to him by a droid and yawned. 

“I have to go to a meeting with the Chief of Education and talk about this discrepancy with the New Order citizens moving to Naboo and needing to put their children in schools,” Hux said, sipping his caf. Ren hummed in acknowledgment, staring at Galatea who was being handed small bits of vegetables to try by Meg. 

“I thought today was the day you had a meeting with the florist,” Ren said. Ares was playing with the hairs at the back of his head, randomly occasionally pulling strands and making his father grunt in annoyance. 

“I do, but that’s later. We slept in but I still scheduled around that.” Ren wasn’t surprised at Hux’s efficiency. Even relaxation had to be planned out for Hux. Sleeping in couldn’t just be random to feel comforted, Hux somehow managed to make his schedule around being hungover. 

Hux and Ren both took medication for their hangovers and Hux was off to do his meetings. Ren didn’t have any in-person meetings that day; he was more interested in wedding planning and bonding with his children. He grimly liked to think he’d be the outlier in the Skywalker legacy of fucking up their kids one way or the other. 

He dismissed Meg for the day, though she would usually linger around the palace until nighttime in case something suddenly came up. When the nannies weren’t actively watching the children, they helped with some chores. 

Ren had his own office in the palace, as did Hux. Hux’s office was farther away from their bedchambers than Ren’s mostly because Hux actually did work and conversed with people in his office whereas Ren shut everyone out to meditate. 

He dragged the children into his office space, plopping them on the carpet and handing them both their favorite action figure set. Galatea immediately stuck one in her mouth while Ares set up some sort of play scene. 

The room was wide with a rounded ceiling. There was a dark brown desk and a great, rounded chair that could spin around. The chair’s interior cushioning was red while the outside shell matched the table. It definitely was different from the black, white, and reds he was used to. The rustic feel was strange but he didn’t care too much about changing it. He was pretty sure Hux’s own office had been minimalized. Ren didn’t want to bother with interior decorators anymore than he actually did. 

He opened his datapad, plopping down in his comfortable work chair with a sigh. There were already tons of messages inquiring him about things ranging from the meal he’d like for dinner, to budget reports, to request to invade planets, to alliances to denouncements. He had other people also look through his messages, yet it was still annoying to see them all pop up. Hux was usually tagged in the messages and answered them instead of Kylo. 

Ren looked through sketches of wedding outfits for him and Hux. Ren had agreed to wear white with Hux for this special occasion. Hux was a bit disgruntled that Ren still followed ‘core world’ and ‘Republic’ traditions, though Hux didn’t offer up any of his own traditions. He was planning to have the outfits have red and gold trim to balance out the white. 

He also had commissioned them all to have crowns. He sent Gyro Ren to once again get their jewelry, not realizing the man actually had an eye for the finer things. The only thing Ren requested for crowns was a golden band for Hux, and nothing else specific. He didn’t want large, obnoxious monarch crowns either. 

He scrolled through this datapad, looking at the early makings of the guest list and the curated propaganda that would be sent out after the wedding was over. Again, these things were more Hux’s forte, but Ren needed and wanted to be involved. He also had to curate the style of the wedding, such as how the rings would be presented and who was at the altar (since there would be one). 

Ares whined from the carpet and Ren looked over, seeing that his son was grumpily laying on the floor. Galatea didn’t seem to care, babbling to the doll she was holding like they were having a two-way conversation. 

“What?” Ren asked. 

“I’m tired and bored,” Ares moaned, rolling over to lay on his stomach. Galatea giggled. 

“You look dead,” Galatea said in her happy little voice. Ren didn’t know where Galatea learned to say dead, or why she said it. It seemed like an odd thing for a three-year-old to say. 

“Tea, gimme that one,” Ares said, sitting up and pointing at her stormtrooper doll.

She puffed out her cheeks. “No!” 

“Why not?” Ares complained. Ren thought children were really weird. 

“No!” Galatea repeated. 

Ares glared at her and was quiet for a moment, his hand flexing toward his sister. Suddenly, the doll flew out of Galatea’s hands and into Ares. Galatea and Ares both gasped, but Galatea was upset while Ares was amazed.

Ren stared at his son, wide-eyed. They could both use the Force, but he had never seen Ares so clearly use it in an efficient and strong way. He had never seen him move an object so quickly, especially out of someone’s hands. 

Galatea sniffed and rubbed her eyes, beginning to cry. 

“No fair!” She cried, melting Ren’s cold heart with every teardrop. As impressed as Ren was with Ares’ trick, he had to comfort his little girl first.

Ren went and sat on the floor, pulling Galatea into his lap. She whimpered and pointed at Ares, accusing him of being a bad brother. Ares forcefully frowned, though Ren could sense he really wanted to smirk for pulling off the type of trick his dad could. 

“Stop crying,” Ren said to Galatea, turning her so she’d have to face him.

“‘Re is mean,” she complained, sniffling. Ren sighed. 

“He’s not. Your brother pulled off a Force trick. It’s impressive is all, even if he was kind of an ass about it,” Ren told her, not able to catch himself before he said ‘ass’ to his three-year-old daughter. 

“F-Force?” Galatea questioned, luckily not seeming to notice her father’s cuss words. 

Ren sat up straight and looked toward Ares. “Watch me, Ares.” 

Ares scooted and faced his father, a bit nervous. He shyly put the stormtrooper doll up near his face. 

Ren sat crossed-legged with Galatea still in his lap. She was calmer, though her face was still red. Ren closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force and feeling its power flow through every molecule in his body. 

The dark side thrummed in his soul, watching him carefully. Ren made sure it didn’t bother Galatea or Ares as he let himself become absorbed in the feeling, aware his children weren’t ready to discover the light and darkness yet. He began to float a few inches off the ground, his hands firmly on his knees.

Galatea gasped as her dad floated, clinging onto him and feeling them both bounce against the gravity. She giggled gleefully, enjoying the feeling of floating. Ares’ jaw dropped and he put the doll down. 

Ren kept his eyes shut, still focused, though it was hard to be focused when his children were being so cute around him. He liked that they were amazed by his tricks. It was sometimes hard to amaze people with the Force: they were often weary or doubtful of it. But children looked with amazement: they loved magic. 

Ares decided to clamber onto Ren, nearly toppling him over with Galatea still in his lap, but he regained composure and let Ares dangle on him. The young boy clung onto his father's neck like he was getting a piggyback ride, bobbing up and down with his levitating father.

Ren censored their giggles from his mind as he meditated. The Force showed him flashes of blue and red cosmoses swirling around him. It was calming. In his meditation space in the Force, he put his hand through the blue cosmos and felt as though it was disproving of the action. He pulled away. 

He tried to search for any visions that could help him protect his family or better his choices, but the Force wouldn’t show him much. Instead, he opened his eyes and let himself plop back down on the floor. Ares jumped off his father and went back to the doll before Galatea could think to grab it. Ren tried to remove Galatea from his lap but she whined loudly, so he picked her up and let her sit in his lap as he worked from his desk.

He began to look at venues for a bachelor party, or whatever Arla had called it. Having a party would require another guest list, another venue, and another thing to add to their plates that Hux would micromanage. 

Coruscant seemed like a good location. Its high population meant that there was too much traffic for them to be truly noticed, though that did pose some security risks. Coruscant technically wasn’t truly part of the New Order, but the First Order controlled it enough that they had influence over the planet. It was basically theirs if the government would stop whining about it. 

Perhaps putting their wedding and children on display would be a way to win over some bleeding hearts and gain sympathy. How could they say they were immoral and cruel to children if the Supreme Leader’s children were so happy and cute? 

There were numerous clubs and casinos on Coruscant, it was hard to curate a small list of options for him and Hux to go over. They’d also have to talk about security details as well, which often was difficult. They could just go to a club, no planning involved, but he figured Hux didn’t want to be ill-prepared. Ren also assumed Hux would say Ren was trying to make go to a sex club or something. 

For some reason, as he scrolled through the lists of favored places to host a party, he became entirely aware of the weird domesticity he was becoming enveloped in. His daughter sitting in his lap, his son playing with toys on the floor, a roof over his head, a job (granted that job was ruling the galaxy), a soon to be husband. None of his domestic life was normal in any capacity given the sheer power he held and the great wealth he had and could bring. 

Ren and Hux worked like every other parent in the galaxy, but they scheduled the entire galaxy’s functionality around their comforts and their children’s future. He didn’t know if domestic was the right word for a family that held so much influence. He could make his kids breakfast, but he could also shut down marketplaces just so Galatea and Ares could get the first pick of what foods they wanted. He could remove children from their classes if he pleased, he could give Hux a new set of staff on a whim, and he could blow up planets if they so much as annoyed him with their theories on his family life. 

They had the power, but Hux told him that true power was to not always use the abilities you have, just make sure everyone knows you have it at all times. True power was about order and control. 

Did his children have all the power in the galaxy then since Hux and Ren were at their beck and call? He wasn’t sure. Perhaps as they got older, a bit of that power over their parents would vanish, but for now, Kylo couldn’t help but be controlled by Galatea’s doleful eyes and Ares’s bright smile. He smelled Galatea’s hair: she still had that young baby smell, though it was probably from whatever child-safe shampoo they bought. 

“What kind of things does your papa like?” Ren asked Galatea, his voice coming off more grumpy than intended. Galatea pointed at the datapad at a picture of a building with all sorts of neon lights.

“Cleaning,” Galatea said, earning a chuckle from her father.

“Me!” Ares called from his spot on the floor. Well, he wasn’t wrong. Hux loved his son.

“Me too!” Galatea insisted, always needing to make sure her brother didn’t get the last word.

“Me more!” Ares yelled. Ren clamped his hand over Galatea’s mouth before the little girl incited a fight between her and her elder brother. She whined and slouched against him, but didn’t argue more.

“I think he likes to make sure everything is just perfect.”

And Ren chose the perfect place to have a bachelor party, of course with Galatea’s approval though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Twitter! I would love to have more kylux friends. You can also see my art there! [@truemoongoddess](https://twitter.com/truemoongoddess)
> 
> View my other spooky Kylux fanfic [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320875/chapters/66751615)


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